Jason Futch, Suwannee Valley Unsolved
Contributor
One of the most unbearable things to imagine is the fact that you could die a long way from home on vacation or visiting family. But, what if you die a tragic death and you didn’t know anyone in the city you died in? There is no way a family member could locate you until after you’ve been identified and their information has been located.
That is the unfortunate case of Jill Diane Carter, a 36-year-old whose remains were located by children off a powerline easement near 153rd Road in Suwannee County in August 2001. She was homeless and had been hitching rides from strangers since she left Washington State earlier that year. She had been experiencing substance abuse issues and had been in and out of treatment centers in the Pacific Northwest prior to her leaving Port Orchard, Wa. When she arrived in the Suwannee Valley in July 2001, she had hitched a ride from a trucker in Macon, Ga., who dropped her off in Lake City, Fla. From there, she spent some time in Columbia County before arriving in Live Oak weeks before her death. The last time she had been seen alive by anyone was 10 days prior to the discovery of her body; she had been socializing at the Pit Stop Bar off Helvenston Street.
When she was located, there was no way to determine a cause of death due to the heavy decomposition of her body, according to then-FDLE (Florida Department of Law Enforcement) Special Agent Bill Gootee in an article in the Gainesville Sun. It was also difficult to determine her identification, but her dentals and a rose tattoo located on her right breast were able to help. In a previous interview, Lt. Tom Warren of the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) stated she may have been dragged from where she was dumped in the bushes, but not by animals. He said forensics determined this due to no animal activity evident on her bones. There were a few leads early in the investigation, including a man who had admitted to killing her and dumping her body in a wooded area. However, he was easily dismissed as a suspect when he led them to an incorrect location.
Over the years, SCSO investigators have revisited the case to see if modern technology can help aid in forensic clues regarding who may have been responsible for her death or if she had been with someone before the incident. SCSO Investigator Chuck Thompkins has been assigned to this case and has been combing through the details in hopes that her family in Washington can get some answers. Today, Carter is interred in a crypt in Gresham, Ore. near her family. Inv. Thompkins needs the public’s help in determining what happened to Carter and who may have seen her last. Twenty-one years is a long time for her family to receive answers in this case.
If you have any information regarding Carter’s death, you are asked to contact SCSO Inv. Thompkins at (386) 362-2222. If you wish to remain anonymous and be eligible for a reward, contact Crime Stoppers of Suwannee County at (386) 208-TIPS (8477).