Jefferson County Sheriff John P. Burns has turned to an Web site of volunteers hoping to solve a nine-year mystery about a woman's disappearance. Jennifer Jean Gordon, who lived at 710 State St. when she was last seen in September 1997, was a 30-year-old victim of schizophrenia, alcohol and drug abuse. Her disappearance was not reported for 40 days because she had a history of running away.
Last week, she became Case File 1984DFNY on "The Doe Network ," which, according to a USA Today story, is an Internet-based alliance of more than 600 volunteers in 23 countries. The association attempts to match John and Jane Does - unidentified bodies - for families.
Lt. Michael S. Peterson, a member of the sheriff's office, became aware of the Doe Network while attending a training session in Virginia, and informed the sheriff. Detective Gary M. Belch, who is now responsible for the case, made the contacts that culminated with the opening of a new file on the network Wednesday.
"We'd like to see some kind of closure for the family, one way or another," Mr. Belch said.
The page for Miss Gordon, www.doenetwork.org/cases/1984dfny.html, reads "Gordon was last seen in Watertown, New York on September 10, 1997. She has a history of running away, but in the past, she has maintained contact with her family via a phone call home every couple of weeks. This time, there were no phone calls."
She often stopped taking her medication for schizophrenia "because she feels there is nothing wrong with her," and at the time of her disappearance, she was not taking the medicine.
Detective Belch confirmed there are no dental records or fingerprints available, as specified on the site. There is a DNA sample for comparison, provided by her mother, Alice M. Gordon, Dexter, he said.
Mr. Belch said the sheriff's office has not been ignoring the case. Her data were submitted to the Mid-Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime Law Enforcement Network, which would identify any kind of use of her name, date of birth, Social Security number, former addresses, phone numbers, license numbers, credit card numbers - anything attached to her file.
Assisted by a cadaver dog handled by state Trooper Ronald G. Morse, North Syracuse, Detective Belch on Sept. 11, 2003 conducted a search at 710 State St., shortly before the structure was to be demolished, he said.
He said he also teamed with Watertown police Detective Joseph R. Donoghue in a joint Jennifer Gordon-Alicia Wasilewski search effort. Mrs. Wasilewski has been missing since May 1996. They searched fields south of the Metro-Jefferson Public Safety Building, looking for vegetation with different shades of green, a possible indication of "disturbed soil." And the city's engineering department drew up charts of sewer lines, but the lines of interest had been installed since the two women disappeared, Mr. Belch said.
Over the years, up to 15 police agencies have contacted the sheriff's office about discovered unidentified women's bodies, Mr. Belch said, but none of the leads panned out.