If anyone remembers anything about the final days of January 1986, it’s most likely the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger just over a minute after liftoff on the morning of January 28th in the skies above Cape Canaveral, Florida. For some residents of Saline County and investigators with the Saline County Sheriff’s Office, the last days of January are remembered for another reason.
Aerial photo of location where “Miss Molly” was found.
Three days before the Challenger disaster dominated national news headlines, a mystery unfolded in Western Saline County that to this day, remains unsolved. It all began on the afternoon of January 25th when a truck driver notified authorities that he had found a body in Mulberry Creek near a bridge along Interstate 70 about 15 miles west of Salina on the north side of the west bound lanes. The body was that of an adult female and she was face down in the shallow water of the creek. An autopsy would later reveal that she had died as a result of drowning, but it was obvious from the beginning that she had been murdered.
Unable to identify the woman, investigators began to call her “Miss Molly”. She appeared to have been severely beaten before being tossed over the bridge into the creek. She had heavy bruising around her right eye and right ear. According to an autopsy, she had died two to three days before she was found. In 1986, former Saline County Sheriff Darrell Wilson said the woman may have been dead when she was thrown from the bridge. He had made this assumption based on the discoloration of her back. After death, blood settles to the lowest point of the body, causing discoloration. Her discolored back indicates that she was face up when she died and she was found face down. Investigators have since stated that it is possible that she may have drowned elsewhere and was later taken to the creek. While investigators failed to identify the woman, they did turn up a few clues in the case and a few of those clues seem to indicate that “Miss Molly”, whoever she was, was not from Kansas.
Post-mortem photo of “Miss Molly”.
When she was found, “Miss Molly” was partially clothed in a beige Chantelle brand bra, size 32B, with French and European markings. She had on black Jockey For Her brand, very abbreviated French cut bikini panties with knee high stockings and lavender sweat pants. The sweat pants were Abraxas brand with two pockets in the front with zippers that zipped up and down. The bra and the sweat pants were not brands found or sold in Kansas. In fact, these brands are manufactured in France and are more commonly sold in large cities on the east and west coast such as Los Angeles and New York City or outside the United States. This meant that the unidentified woman was most likely attacked outside of Saline County, and possibly even outside of Kansas, before being tossed into the creek.
When she was found, she not wearing any jewelry and had no identification, but there were other things that could help identify her. To begin with, her teeth were in remarkable condition and appeared to be well-taken care of. A dental examination indicated that she had some recent orthodontic work completed, a recent tooth extraction, signs of recent root canal therapy with a broken reamer found. Both upper first premolars had been extracted and orthodontics had been done to close the spaces. These things alone would be pertinent identifiable characteristics. Other than dental work, she also had an appendix scar on her lower right abdomen, and as well as scars on the left side of her jaw including a 1″ scar on the jaw bone to the left of the chin and a 3/4″ scar on the jaw bone below the left cheek. She also had a 3/4″ circular scar on the right knee. “Miss Molly” also had false fingernails which were painted bright red. There were also stretch marks around her stomach indicating that she had recently given birth.
Not far from where her body was located, investigators found a blue colored nylon bag with white drawstrings, and a white pillow case which included other clothing items. It has never been proven that these items actually belonged to her.
Over the years, a number of composite drawings have been commissioned in an attempt to identify her. Authorities even released a post-mortem photo with the hope that someone would recognize the unidentified woman. Investigators have poured through hundreds of missing persons reports from all over the world trying to put a name to the face, to no avail. One of the many possibilities was that “Miss Molly” might have been a prostitute. Throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s, it was not uncommon for prostitutes to go missing and later be found murdered. Eight such occurrences took place during this time frame in Ohio, three near I-70, and were possibly linked to an unknown truck driver. Those cases, some eerily similar to “Miss Molly”, also remain unsolved.
Various composite drawings of “Miss Molly”.
One possible lead surfaced soon after “Miss Molly” was found. That lead was a possible witness or person of interest. Investigators learned than a white male had been seen in the area the night before the body was discovered. He was around 30 years old, 5’6″ to 5’7″ tall with a beard and tattoos. He was driving a black Pontiac Trans Am with a dent on the driver’s side. The man had apparently spoken with someone who lived near the area where the body was found. Investigators believe this man might be able to provide further clues or information in the case. To date, he has never been located. Another man seen driving a car in the area on the morning the body was found was later questioned and ruled out as a suspect in the case.
As the case goes nearly 30 years unsolved, many questions still remain. Who is this woman? Where did she come from? Who killed her? A handful of local residents have the kept the case alive. A “Who is Miss Molly?” Facebook page is dedicated to her case. Not long after she was found, “Miss Molly” was buried in Gypsum Hill Cemetery in Salina with a grave marker that simply reads “Jane Doe”. Someone, somewhere knows who this woman is and what happened to her. At the time of her death, “Miss Molly” was believed to be between 25 to 30 years old, 5’5″ to 5’7″ tall, weighing 125 to 130 pounds. She had medium-length light brown hair with blonde highlights and grey or light blue eyes. If the child she gave birth to is still living, he or she would be around 25 to 30 years old.
Marker at the grave of “Miss Molly”.
If you have any information regarding the identity of “Miss Molly” or her killer, please contact the Saline County Sheriff’s Office at (785)826-6500. You can also submit tips anonymously by calling Salina/Saline County Crime Stoppers at (785)825-TIPS.
“Miss Molly” on the Saline County Sheriff’s Website: http://www.salinesheriff.org/UnidentifiedPerson.aspx
Who is Miss Molly on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhoIsMissMolly
“Miss Molly” on the Doe Network: http://doenetwork.org/cases/184ufks.html
“Miss Molly” on ICare: http://icaremissingpersonscoldcases.yuku.com/topic/823/Unidentified-Female-1986-in-Saline-CountyKansas
“Miss Molly” on Kansas Missing & Unsolved: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.942036489193095.1073741831.250643991665685&type=3
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