Crime Solvers Central
Crime Solvers Central
302 Cases Solved. Advancing justice for missing persons, unsolved homicides, unidentified and unclaimed remains.

Case Description

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Summary based on the NamUs case record (MP68516) and 6 other sources
In the late summer of 1980, a young woman's life took a turn into decades of unresolved mystery. On September 5, 1980, 17-year-old Sherry Lynn Quinn was last seen in the Dale City/Woodbridge area of Virginia. A teenager with brown hair and brown eyes, Sherry stood about five feet three inches tall. Friends and family sometimes called her 'Frizz.' Like many young people of her time, she was known to occasionally hitchhike, sometimes traveling long distances. On the day she vanished, she informed her family that she was heading to an acquaintance's home to pick up some of her personal belongings. She left, and was never seen again by her loved ones.

The days following Sherry's departure turned into weeks of silence, deepening her family's concern. The only semblance of contact came weeks later in the form of a collect phone call. A family member answered a call from Sherry, which was thought to have originated from somewhere in Texas. This brief communication offered a glimmer of information, suggesting she may have traveled out of state, but it would be the last time her family ever heard from her. The conversation ended, and with it, the trail to Sherry Lynn Quinn went cold, leaving a void of information and an absence that would stretch across the years.

For decades, Sherry's disappearance remained in the shadows, generating very little media coverage and leaving her story largely undocumented. It wasn't until 2021, more than forty years after she was last seen, that a formal missing persons case was officially opened by the Prince William County Police Department. The circumstances of her case are few, marked by her stated intention to retrieve her things and the mysterious, untraceable phone call from another state. The investigation into what happened to Sherry Lynn Quinn after she left her Virginia home remains open, a quiet and lingering question for a family who has waited decades for answers.

Last Seen: Sep 5, 1980

Possible Unidentified Matches (8)

Unidentified remains cases whose details are consistent with this person, ranked by how closely they compare. Fields that are unknown in either case are left out of the score.

77%Possible
Jane Doe — Washington, District of Columbia
UP16571 • Found Feb 6, 2005
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Sex ✓Female
Age 100%Est. 40–50 vs 17 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 97%21 mi away
TimingFound 24 years after last seen
Height 100%5'3" vs 5'3"
77%Possible
Jane Doe — Brooklyn, Maryland - unidentified case UP1856
Jane Doe — Brooklyn, Maryland
UP1856 • Found Jul 27, 2005
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Sex ✓Female
Age 100%Est. 19–23 vs 17 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 88%53 mi away
TimingFound 25 years after last seen
Height 84%5'5" vs 5'3"
Weight 100%120 lb vs 120–130 lb
Hair 100%Brown vs Brown
77%Possible
Jane Doe — Frederick, Maryland - unidentified case UP1665
Jane Doe — Frederick, Maryland
UP1665 • Found Jul 31, 1991
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Sex ✓Female
Age 100%Est. 15–29 vs 17 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 88%53 mi away
TimingFound 11 years after last seen
Height 84%5'1" vs 5'3"
Hair 100%Brown vs Brown
76%Possible
Jane Doe — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - unidentified case UP2721
Jane Doe — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
UP2721 • Found Jan 12, 2000
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Sex ✓Female
Age 100%Est. 30–45 vs 17 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 67%142 mi away
TimingFound 19 years after last seen
Height 100%5'3" vs 5'3"
Weight 72%160 lb vs 120–130 lb
Hair 100%Brown vs Brown
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
76%Possible
Jane Doe — Winchester, Virginia - unidentified case UP6629
Jane Doe — Winchester, Virginia
UP6629 • Found Feb 3, 1991
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Sex ✓Female
Age 85%Est. 20–39 vs 17 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 86%61 mi away, same state
TimingFound 10 years after last seen
Height 100%5'3"–5'6" vs 5'3"
Weight 100%114–135 lb vs 120–130 lb
Hair 50%Blond vs Brown
76%Possible
Jane Doe — Staten Island, New York - unidentified case UP6955
Jane Doe — Staten Island, New York
UP6955 • Found Sep 6, 1989
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Sex ✓Female
Age 100%Est. 18–30 vs 17 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 54%211 mi away
TimingFound 9 years after last seen
Height 100%5'4" vs 5'3"
Weight 100%110 lb vs 120–130 lb
Hair 100%Brown vs Brown
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
75%Possible
Jane Doe — Baltimore, Maryland - unidentified case UP5439
Jane Doe — Baltimore, Maryland
UP5439 • Found Jun 15, 1987
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Sex ✓Female
Age 97%Est. 24–30 vs 17 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 88%56 mi away
TimingFound 7 years after last seen
Height 68%5'6" vs 5'3"
Weight 100%138 lb vs 120–130 lb
Hair 50%Red vs Brown
Eyes 0%Gray vs Brown
75%Possible
Jane Doe — Frederick, Maryland - unidentified case UP7477
Jane Doe — Frederick, Maryland
UP7477 • Found Aug 24, 1982
View case
Sex ✓Female
Age 60%Est. 17–45 vs 17 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 88%53 mi away
TimingFound 24 months after last seen
Height 100%5'4" vs 5'3"
Hair 100%Brown vs Brown

These comparisons are generated automatically from public NamUs case data and are not confirmed identifications. Only DNA, dental or fingerprint comparison by investigators can confirm an identity. If you believe two cases are connected, contact the agency handling the unidentified case.

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