On April 19, 1981, maintenance crews surveying Interstate 65 near Cave City in rural Barren County, Kentucky, discovered the decomposed body of a young woman discarded down an overgrown highway embankment. Possessing natural reddish hair and discarded along a major midwestern trucking corridor, she became a foundational victim in the interstate investigation known as the "Redhead Murders." Forty-five years later, she remains unidentified as NamUs UP88.
Discovery, Embankment Scene & Autopsy Findings
Forensic pathologists estimated the decedent was a Caucasian female between 18 and 25 years old, standing approximately 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing 115 pounds, with natural reddish-auburn hair. Cause of death was ruled a homicide resulting from asphyxiation by ligature strangulation.
Investigators noted she carried no identification, purse, or jewelry. She was dressed in blue jeans, a beige shirt, and athletic shoes. Pathologists estimated she had been discarded alongside the highway approximately twenty-four to forty-eight hours prior to discovery, indicating her killer utilized Interstate 65 as an active transit dumping route between Louisville and Nashville.
| Date / Period | Jurisdiction / Entity | Forensic Event & Milestone |
|---|---|---|
| Mid April 1981 | Interstate 65 Corridor | Victim is abducted and strangled; discarded down Cave City embankment. |
| Apr 19, 1981 | Cave City, Barren Co., KY | Body discovered along I-65; cataloged as NamUs UP88 and Doe Network 60UFKY. |
| 1985 | Regional Police Task Force | Case integrated into official 6-state "Redhead Murders" cross-jurisdictional inquiry. |
| 2018 | Kentucky State Police | KSP Post 3 re-opens cold file; dental records digitized into NamUs. |
| Active | KSP / Forensic Genealogy | Skeletal samples undergoing genomic sequencing to restore decedent's identity. |