SCPD Updates Composite Sketch in 1983 Bellport Jane Doe Cold Case

Forty-two years after Arthur Kinlaw beat and stabbed a heavyset woman to death in an argument over rent at his Michigan Avenue home in Bellport, she still has no name. The Suffolk County District Attorney's Cold Case Task Force and the Suffolk County Police Department released an updated composite sketch, a three-dimensional clay facial reconstruction, and a composite depiction of the victim's tattoo in hopes that someone, somewhere, recognizes her.

The woman, known only as Bellport Jane Doe, was believed to have rented a room from Kinlaw and went by "Marie" or "Maria," according to the DA's office. She was described as Black or Hispanic, approximately 300 pounds, and walked with the assistance of a walker after having previously shattered her femur. Investigators believe she may have been a sex worker from New York City. A rosary and a homemade blue jersey dress were recovered with her remains.

Her body lay concealed beneath a concrete patio at the Michigan Avenue residence until November 1999, when SCPD detectives recovered her remains after receiving a tip from Kinlaw's own wife. Kinlaw later admitted to killing the woman during an argument over rent in approximately 1983. He was convicted in 2000 in both Suffolk County and the Bronx for her murder and the killing of another woman known only as "Linda," whose body was pulled from the East River. Newsday reported that Kinlaw was convicted of killing three women total, two from Long Island and one from the Bronx. He is currently serving 20 years to life.

The updated composite sketch was created in conjunction with Danielle Gruttadaurio, a forensic artist with the SCPD. The DA's office said the renderings are intended to show how the victim likely appeared prior to her death. District Attorney Raymond Tierney's office released the Bellport Jane Doe materials alongside updated forensic imagery in the separate Medford Jane Doe case, both issued in recognition of National Missing Persons Day on Feb. 3.

Officials noted that even minor recollections, such as someone remembering a person with a similar tattoo or physical description who disappeared in the mid-1980s, could prove significant in finally giving the woman an identity.

Anyone with information can email contactda@suffolkcountyny.gov or call (631) 263-0526. Case summaries, renderings, and newly released materials are available at SuffolkCountyDA.org/cold-cases. All tips are treated confidentially.