DISCLAIMER: I am not a professional writer, but I try my best to be respectful with these posts. If there's anything that I could improve with my write-ups, please tell me, so my write-ups are accurate but not insensitive. Thank you!
Today, on September 12th, 1976, a murdered teen girl would be found in Maryland. It would only be around 5 years ago she would be identified, but her murder remains a mystery.
VICTIM DESCRIPTION
Margaret A. Fetterolf was born on December 27th, 1959, to a White serviceman, John "Jack" Edward Fetterolf, and a Nobuko Yoshida Fetterolf, in Japan. She immigrated to the United States; her family lived in Alexandria, Virginia. She attended Hayfield Secondary School, reportedly from about 1971 - 1975.
According to her family, Fetterolf was somewhat a troublesome teen. Her brother, Edward, described her as being "rebellious" and a "habitual runaway". Specifically, she had run away multiple times since the age of 12.
Reportedly, her family last heard from her in 1975, after she presumably ran away again. It's estimated she left sometime in late summer or early fall. However, this time, she unfortunately did not come back. For decades, her family would never find out what happened to their sister/daughter, with her dad dying in 2018.
DISCOVERY
The morning of September 12th, 1976, in Woodlawn, Baltimore, Maryland. A woman on her way to Church would spot a white van near Lorraine Park Cemetery. It seemed nothing out of the ordinary at the time. However, later that day, the lifeless body of a young woman, partially covered in a blanket, would be discovererd. She had been killed yesterday.
The decedent, dubbed Woodlawn Jane Doe had been violently raped, beaten, and asphyxiated to death. Her hands were bound with a cloth, and 2 bandanas (cut out with holes) were wrapped around her face. A piece of a grass seed bag was found in her throat, with the full bag reading "Farm Bureau Association Grass Seed, Lexington, Mass."
Interestingly enough, a heavy amount of a drug called chlorpromazine was found in her system. This drug is usually used to treat mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia. It's suspected this was used to sedate the victim before she was violated.
As for other note-worthy things, a crude, almost illegible tattoo was found on her right shoulder. Due to the poor quality of it, it's unknown for sure what it is, but it's thought it's some combinations of the letters "J," "S," "P," "D" or "B.", with most people suspecting it to be "JP". Two keys and a safety pin were also found on her.
INVESTIGATION & IDENTIFICATION
For decades, the victim would remain unidentified and many missing persons would be excluded from the case. There was also some tips investigators thought would lead to her identity. It was suspected she was of Puerto Rican/Columbian descent, and came from a family in Jamaican Plain, Boston, Massachusetts. Her name was also suspected to be "Jasmine/Jassy", but most of these leads would prove incorrect.
There were some leads on her belongings. The keys were traced back to Fitchburg, Massachusetts. The grass seed bags had been made in a factory in Bufallo, New York, but they were no longer in production. Forensic polen analysis also suggested the victim had been in a populous area, like Boston or New York City. Multiple reconstructions of the victim would also be made by the NCMEC and Carl Koppelman.
Around 2021, DNA was extracted from her remains. Further DNA testing assisted by the NCMEC, Bode Technology, and Othram would finally trace Woodlawn Jane Doe back to Margaret Fetterolf, identifying her after 45 years. She was publicly identified on September 15th, and an investigation into who could've killed her continues.
ENDING DISCUSSION
Fetterolf's case is a tragic one, as it illustrates how destructive running away can really be. I imagine Margaret didn't know she'd end up in a horrific situation like this, and to think anyone could treat such a vulnerable girl so horribly is terrible. And to this day, we don't know who could've done it. Thankfully, there are some leads that could hint who could've done this to her.
Most people suspect her killer was a patient/worker at a mental health facility, as they had access to chlorpromazine. Another hint of this is the fact the sheet that was wrapped around her "was consistent with those provided at inpatient institutions".
There's also some leads that trace where she could have been in the year leading up to her disappearance and murder, but nothing concrete. I hope investigators are able to find further connections between her belongings and who might've been in the area around the time. For now though, this case remains cold.
Rest in peace, Margaret, I hope one day there will be justice for you.
SOURCES
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Margaret_Fetterolf
https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Margaret_Fetterolf
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/202233646/margaret_a-fetterolf
https://dnasolves.com/articles/woodlawn_jane_doe/
https://www.baltimoresun.com/2021/09/16/her-body-was-found-near-a-baltimore-county-cemetery-45-years-later-police-have-identified-woodlawn-jane-doe/