Unidentified Woman Found in Kenora, Ontario, in 2009

Canada’s Missing Persons Case reference: 2009005199 (source for Jane Doe profile below)
Discovery date: June 17, 2009 (Wednesday)
Discovery location: Kenora, Ontario, Canada. Journalism in the July 1st, 2009, North Bay Nugget says that she was found near Miller Rapids Road. This is a road that is about 2.3 km in length, near Rideout Bay. It does not appear to be the most remote location; however, someone could be undetected in forested areas along this road. Google Maps does not film this road; however, nearby Veterans Drive is available for a drop-down for Google Maps users. Furthermore, as luck would have it, Google took some footage in June 2009 of the area, which is fairly contemporaneous to her discovery date and likely date of death (it’s not clear what date in June 2009 that Google did their drive-by).
Estimated age: 35–55 years
Sex: Female
Hair: Brown, shoulder-length; described as light brown to almost dark blonde
Height: 160–170 cm (5 ft 3 in–5 ft 7 in)
Distinguishing feature: Previous reconstructive surgery involving the upper and lower jaws
Possible additional feature: Adult orthodontic treatment
Possible smoking history: Spots on the lower teeth
Biogeographic ancestry: European ancestry, according to testing reported by Canada’s Missing

Case Summary

According to this Jane Doe’s webpage at Canada’s Missing, on June 17th, 2009, the body of an unidentified Caucasian woman was discovered inside a small, one-person tent in a wooded area in Kenora, Ontario. Investigators determined that the woman had previously undergone reconstructive jaw surgery. The facial bones had been surgically cut and repositioned, and the upper and lower jaws had been realigned, resulting in changes to her facial structure. She may also have had orthodontic braces during adulthood. Spots on her lower teeth suggested that she might have been a smoker. Investigators believed that she had been inside the tent for between one or two days and no more than a week before her body was discovered.

Presumptive date of death: If she was dead no more than a week, then she would have died between June 10th, 2009, and June 16th, 2009. Women last seen in early-to-mid June are prime candidates for cross-referencing against these Jane Does, especially in the Kenora, Ontario area (near Manitoba, on the Trans Canada).

Clothing and Personal Effects

Images of her personal effects can be found at the Canada’s Missing web link. The following items were recorded in the official case profile:

• Wool gloves
• Hoop earring found in the tent
• A container containing 13 pills labelled “Pfizer”
• A two-pack of back and muscle pain relief pills
• $75.00 in Canadian banknotes and $2.84 in Canadian coins
• Black, long-sleeved shirt
• Grey wool socks
• Thin white cotton socks
• Black cotton Jockey underwear, size 5
• Grey cotton undershirt with a built-in sports bra and thin straps

Contemporaneous Journalism About the Case

Commentary: Mary Elisabeth Bell and Ginger Kropp

This Jane Doe has been discussed in online forums. At a forum on Websleuths, it has been pointed out that Mary Elisabeth Ball has some stark similarities to this Jane Doe. There are also differences and problems with the match. However, facial likeness to the composite sketch, jaw reconstruction, glasses, seemingly similar body fat, and other details align. The age does not match (but age estimates of Jane Does can be complicated to make), and Ball was American, with no proof she travelled to Canada. Ball’s NamUs profile has been removed, leading some to wonder if Ball was matched to another Jane Doe or found. At the time of publishing, it’s only a name to be aware of; the Websleuths source would probably include an update in the future.

Another interesting missing person to compare to is Ginger Michelle Kropp. She is a missing woman who was last seen in Minnesota on June 11th, 2009, at the University of Minnesota. There is some ambiguity with regard to her case. On the one hand, someone on Websleuths has claimed her case was going to be removed. However, that comment was made back in March 2026. As of October 2026, the case remains active at NamUs, presumptively, because she has not been located yet. Readers are advised to check this case link and advise if it becomes a dead link (Ginger’s NamUs profile; link good on October 23rd, 2026).

Kropp is not a bad match, except for the distance — which would include an international border crossing. While Ontario and Minnesota are adjacent, Kenora itself is not near the American border. Furthermore, the University of Minnesota campus is not near the Canadian border.

Kropp’s case has always been a little odd. Her family last saw her in 2004, but she herself was seen in 2009. The nature of the last sighting involved campus police/security at the University of Minnesota, the details of which I do not know.

Kropp fits the profile of the Jane Doe in Kenora well. I don’t know if Kropp had jaw surgery, which is needed to make a solid profile match. But since the Jane Doe was thought to have been dead for days as of June 17th, 2009, Kropp being alive on June 11th makes a match possible.

As often is the case, updates are pending.