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The Mystery of 1971 Little Miss Lake Panasoffkee Jane Doe Still Eludes Florida Authorities
She is believed to be of Greek descent and had only been in the USA for approximately 12 months when she was killed
On February 17th, 1971, two partygoers made their way down Interstate-75, close to the Lake Panasoffkee Bridge in Sumter County, Florida, when they made a grizzly discovery. Their Mardi Gras plans were halted as they realized they were looking at the body of a young woman in the waters below. The two were able to flag down a passing state trooper, and what would unfold would become one of the most bizarre Jane Doe cases in Florida.
The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office quickly arrived at the scene and began their investigation. A man’s size thirty-six belt was still wrapped around her neck, and it was clear her assailant had thrown her into the waters below from the bridge. Her remains were heavily decomposed and in a state of putrefaction; the coroner would later determine she had been deceased anywhere from two weeks to thirty days at the time of her discovery.
The woman was transported to the local coroner’s office for an autopsy. In their initial findings, the coroner ruled the woman was between the ages of seventeen to twenty-four, possibly of…