Orange deputies hope jewelry with body will help ID woman

Orange County Sheriff’s Office detectives released more potentially identifying information Friday about the unknown woman whose body was discovered last month.

Two men picking berries in the area of Fort Christmas and Lake Pickett roads discovered skeletal remains about 12:15 p.m. Sept. 29 and called law enforcement to investigate, said Sheriff ’s Office detective Peter Hernandez. At that time, deputies suspected the bones were human, but did not know for sure.

On Friday, he said further investigation revealed the remains were a woman’s.

Officials believe the woman was white and had brown hair, said Sheriff’s Office spokesman Jeff Williamson. They think she was between the ages of 30 and 55 years old, he said.

Detectives also found several pieces of “very distinctive” jewelry, Williamson said.

Investigators released images of the jewelry to the public in hopes that someone will recognize the items and help identify the woman.

The images included five rings and an industrial piercing piece commonly worn on the top portion of the ear.

The rings included one that had “MOM” engraved on its side, another with an emerald-cut pink stone, an engagement-style ring and two rings with intricate designs and patterns. Most of the rings were gold or copper in color.

“The [MOM] ring itself should trigger somebody’s memory, who this could be if they’ve ever seen it before,” Hernandez said. “So we’re hoping that, along with the other jewelry, will hopefully trigger somebody’s mind to call in who this could be.”

He said the investigation is still in its “early stages” and authorities are checking missing persons cases for matches.

The detective said DNA testing could help identify the woman, but identification would come faster if someone recognizes the woman’s jewelry.

Those with information about the woman’s death or possible identity should call Crimeline at 1-800-423-8477. Crimeline is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for tips in the case.