Miss X (decedent)

Laundry bag that partially covered the body

Miss X's body was found on the side of Porter Road on March 18, 1967.[5] She was wearing only a pair of blue bikini-like underwear, the manufacturer's label of which had been removed. A red ribbon tied her hair back from her face.[5] The victim's legs were encased in a whitish-colored canvas laundry bag, which had "Bag O - Storage. American Laundry. Dry Cleaning. EX4 5277." printed on it. It is not clear if she was associated with such an establishment.[2][6]

It is believed Miss X died in a different location from where she was found.[5]

The victim was three months pregnant at the time of her death.[6] Originally, investigators thought she had died from an abortion; a substance resembling an abortion-inducing chemical was found in her vaginal cavity.[7] The cause of death was an untreated infection of unknown origin, though the theory of an abortion attempt being the origin has not been disproven.[2]

Miss X was five feet two inches (157 cm) tall, and weighed roughly 110 to 115 pounds (50 to 52 kilograms). She had a large bra size, estimated at 34DD.[6] She had dark curly hair and brown eyes, leading some to speculate she was of Southern European origin, perhaps from Greece or Italy.[2] Some have also said she appeared to be of "Jewish descent".[5] The young woman's body had no marks other than a vaccination scar on her left upper leg. Her blood type was "O."[8] Her ears were pierced but it did not appear she had worn earrings recently.[5] She had cared for her teeth very well; there was some evidence of tooth repair and she likely saw a dentist approximately six months before her death. Her age was originally estimated between eighteen and twenty-one years old, but the age range has been widened to sixteen to twenty-five years.[5][9]

Miss X's incomplete death certificate

Detectives have focused primarily on identifying Miss X instead of finding the individuals who disposed of her body or may have been involved in her death. Because of the significant amount of time that has passed, investigators say the suspects would either be "dead or elderly".[2]

The laundry bag found at the scene was traced to a company known as American Laundry, which operated in Trenton, New Jersey.[5][6] When asked about the victim, members of the owner's family said that they remembered a young woman, matching Miss X's description, who either lived nearby or was a customer.[2]

An anonymous caller told police he brought a woman's body from the state of Washington to Delaware, but little information about this tip has been published.[6] This lead is somewhat questionable, as Miss X was deceased for less than twenty-four hours and it would have taken a considerable amount of time to transport the body from such a distance.[6]

Boulden Blvd Potter's Field, where Miss X is buried.

The case was re-examined in 2011, when a vial of the victim's blood and her hair ribbon were found in an evidence container. Her DNA linked her, maternally, to individuals in Virginia and North Carolina. However, when contacted, those individuals told investigators they did not know who Miss X is.[2][6]

Early in the investigation, a sketch of Miss X was released to the public. In 2013, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children reconstructed her face with a much more precise and detailed method.[2]

• List of unsolved deaths
• Murder of Ruth Waymire
• Perry County Jane Doe
• Murder of Ruth Marie Terry
• Murder of Joseph Augustus Zarelli
• Murder of Evelyn Colon

• 
  Original reconstruction
• 
  retouched photograph (circa 1967)
• 
  Side view
• 
  Reconstruction by Carl Koppelman

• Miss X at NamUs
• Miss X at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
• Miss X at The Doe Network

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Miss X.