ANNANDALE JANE DOE: WF, 50-70, found in Pleasant Valley Cemetery - 18 December 1996 *GRAPHIC*

Annandale Jane, Fairfax Virginia December 18, 1996

"Mary Anderson", Seattle, October 9, 1996

http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/OMHHE/healthequity/navigating-healthcare/family/death.htm

In my home country, autopsy is not desired. Must I have an autopsy?
There are cases when either an “autopsy” or a “view” is required by law. These are the cases handled by a medical examiner. They are called “medical examiner’s cases.” These are cases when the medical examiner must complete the death certificate.

What is a medical examiner?
A medical examiner (ME) is a physician who determines why and how a person died. You may hear how and why a person died called the “cause” and “manner” of death. Each city or county in Virginia has a medical examiner. Physicians, law enforcement officers, hospitals and funeral directors will report to the medical examiner any death that might require an autopsy or view.

When is a medical examiner needed?
By law, there are four times when a medical examiner must be used:

1) When the person who died was not under the care of a doctor
2) When death was sudden and not expected
3) When death was due to violence of any kind
4) When death might have been caused by violence

What is a “view” and what is an “autopsy?”
The medical examiner may do one of two exams:
A view: This is done in about half the cases a medical examiner sees. The medical examiner will do an outside exam of the body and collect fluids for testing.
An autopsy: This is done when a viewing does not give enough information. The medical examiner will do a complete outside and inside exam. This will include testing all internal organs and collecting fluids.
May I refuse an autopsy if the medical examiner wants one?
No. The medical examiner will only do an autopsy when one is necessary. This is a matter of law.

What does the medical examiner do if a body cannot be identified?
Usually, a medical examiner will use fingerprints and/or dental records to identify a body. If those are not available, police will take photos and bring those into the community to see if anyone can identify the body. Identifying and claiming a body does not put anyone at risk for deportation. The medical examiner’s office does NOT check your immigration status.

http://criminal.lawyers.com/criminal-law-basics/autopsies-finding-out-why-may-be-required.html

CRIMINAL LAW
Autopsies: Finding Out "Why" May Be Required

Nothing's certain in life but death and taxes. Even so, the cause of death can be uncertain. When a person dies in suspicious or unnaturally circumstances, an autopsy can sometimes explain why.

Television shows may make it seem that every death is suspicious and there's at least one, if not two or more, bodies to examine, and occasionally to exhume, or dig up. Shows such as Quincy M.E., Crossing Jordan, or CSI: Crime Scene Investigation have certainly captured the public’s interest in the process.

Autopsies: Looking For Answers
An autopsy is a thorough examination of a dead body. In most instances, it includes complete internal and external examinations:

Bruises, cuts, puncture holes and other signs of physical trauma are looked for externally
The chest cavity is opened so internal organs may be examined for trauma, as well as signs of disease
Autopsies often include blood, tissue and other tests, such as when there are questions about whether the person being examined was using alcohol or drugs at or near the time of death.

When Autopsies Are Performed
Autopsies are common, and sometimes legally required, in certain circumstances. The most common is when a death is suspicious, like when there are no witnesses or the death is sudden and unexpected. The deaths of "Jackass" star Ryan Dunn and the "King of Pop" Michael Jackson are good examples.

Often, as with the Michael Jackson case, the autopsy leads to criminal charges being filed - usually serious homicide charges, like manslaughter, and perhaps murder.

Other Deaths Require Autopsies
The laws usually vary from state to state as to when autopsies are legally required. For example:
In states like Georgia, autopsies are required when a child under the age of seven dies unexpectedly or without explanation
Many states follow Michigan and require autopsies when deaths are caused by violence or abortion and when prison inmates die
Louisiana and practically every other state requires autopsies when there are suspicions a death was caused by any serious disease, such as HIV-AIDS or e. Coli
Check the laws in your state or with your local or state health department for details on when autopsies are legally required.

Who Performs Autopsies
In practically all cases, autopsies are performed by a licensed medical professional employed by the local government, such as your city or county. Common names for these professionals are coroners andmedical examiners.

Permission Not Needed
As a general rule, when an autopsy is legally required, a medical examiner doesn't need the permission or consent from the deceased person's spouse or next-of-kin before performing the autopsy. In some states, like Florida, every effort must be made to get the consent of the decedent's health care surrogate, spouse or next-of-kin.

http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/medical-examiner/looking-for-a-missing-person/

This is a great website from the Virginia Dept. of Health and the Virginia Medical Examiners. The website has facial reconstructions that have been submitted to NAMUS because they are unidentified persons. For some reason Annandale Jane Doe isn't included.

http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/medical...orts/virginia-violent-death-reporting-system/

VIRGINIA VIOLENT DEATH REPORTING SYSTEM

Beginning in 2003, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner implemented the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) in Virginia. The NVDRS is a public health data collection system designed to better understand the breadth and scope of fatal violence and its victims and to support data driven violence prevention efforts. The NVDRS links information in six types of violent deaths – homicides, suicides, accidental firearm deaths, legal interventions, deaths due to acts of terrorism, and undetermined deaths likely related to violence – using a variety of death investigation sources such as forensic pathology, law enforcement, forensic science, and vital records.

The Virginia Violent Death Reporting System (VVDRS) is the operation and reporting system of the NVDRS within Virginia, and uses the methodology, definitions, coding schema, and database of the NVDRS. Funded through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and operating now in 32 states, the goal of the NVDRS is to establish a national violent death surveillance system. Virginia was among the first six states to implement the NVDRS, and the first statewide medical examiner system to do so.



This program was started in 2003 in Virginia. I am not finding requirements for autopsies following suicides, prior to 2003.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/arch...wn-dead/25553f3d-208b-43e5-84a1-176b304996aa/

The number of unidentified cases has stayed roughly the same over the years--no increases, but no noticeable decreases even with the technological advances.

"What makes it so frustrating," Perez said of Jane Doe, "is this isn't a case where we're dealing with skeletal remains. This is a lady that somebody should recognize."

After a number of days have passed without an identification, police and medical examiners have a standard procedure to try to develop an identity. A complete set of photographs and X-rays, from head to toe, is taken, and the clothes are fully documented. Finger and palm prints are taken, as is a DNA sample.

A forensic odontologist, a specialist in dental science, performs a dental exam and devises a numeric code that is entered into the National Crime Information Computer, as are the codes for the fingerprints. A radiologist reviews the X-rays for distinctive marks or breaks. A high-resolution photo of the prints is sent to the FBI for closer examination. And if the person appears to be from another country, the Immigration and Naturalization Service is also consulted.

Sometimes, all those steps produce nothing. A man who apparently was strangled and discovered in a trunk in Loudoun County in May 1996 remains unidentified. And a woman apparently shot to death in Falls Church in May 1990 also is unidentified.



All of this was done with Annandale Jane, in addition to the standard procedures by the ME. There were no matches in any of the databases. I wonder if this woman was Canadian.

medical alert bracelet

Annandale isn't very far from the airport.

Annandale Jane, Fairfax Virginia December 18, 1996
"Mary Anderson", Seattle, October 9, 1996

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, AIDS was taking a tremendous toll in many parts of our country. Many people had been exposed before the course of the virus was understood. It could take as long as ten years for symptoms to develop. Potent medicinal "cocktails" were used, but it took years and hours of research for effective treatments to be developed. Many people had contracted the virus years before the progression of AIDS/HIV was fully understood. In the early years of AIDS, the diagnosis was a painful and debilitating death sentence. The body wasted and the infected person developed an appearance of "walking death" as their organs gradually failed. Many chose a suicide option to avoid the devastating physical pain and the shame from family and friends knowing about the source of the infection. Suicide was a way for those infected with the virus to take control of the inevitable and accept death with dignity. I do believe that UIDs from this time period should be considered as possible AIDS/HIV victims who chose suicide as an option. In 1996, there were no Rainbow or LGBT groups. This could be a reason why Annandale Jane Doe didn't want an autopsy.