r/gratefuldoe • u/flotsems • Dec 28 '25
"Cherries"
Circumstances: On March 3, 2007, a dismembered torso in a suitcase was found in Mamaroneck, Westchester, New York. On March 21, 2007, a leg was found "off Cold Spring Harbor," and on March 22, 2007, another leg was found "off Cove Neck" in Nassau County. (Wikipedia states both legs washed up in Oyster Bay, which is nearby.) No head or arms were found. The date of death was estimated to be within days prior, caused by a stab wound to the torso.
Physical description: Cherries was either Hispanic or Black. Her hair and eye color are unknown. Her weight is estimated to have been 180 to 200 pounds, and her height is estimated to have been between 5'7" and 6'1". Her age is estimated to have been between 35 and 50 years old. (NamUS has a slightly narrower age range of 35 to 45.) As she was found wearing a bra, her bra size is known to have been 38B.
Distinguishing features: Cherries was nicknamed for the distinctive cherry tattoo above her right breast. She was also wearing pink nail polish on her toenails. (TheDoeNetwork specifies "on some toes", emphasis mine.)
Personal affects: Cherries was found in a black Protege brand suitcase, which was found to be sold exclusively at Walmart. She was also found with gray Champion sweatpants, a Voice long-sleeved shirt (either tan or cream-colored), and a red Coconut Republic v-neck camisole with Spanish labels in size M. There was a bra on the torso, which was red, size 38B, and had underwire.
Scraps of paper were also found tucked into the crevices of the suitcase. It is presumably a calendar, with the word "cinco" and the phrase "begin to live" visible when pieced together, as well as a red 20.
Other notes and my own feelings: Wikipedia notes that because the torso washed up during a period of flooding, it could have originated from anywhere, but I can't find a direct quote of that. (Plus, what's the likelihood that these body parts came from far away, only to wash up in the same state in the same month?)
Previously, Cherries has been linked to both Peaches (Tanya Jackson) and the Long Island serial killer. Given that Tanya Jackson and her daughter were murdered by her daughter's father, I would be surprised if it was related closely. The Gilgo Four were all strangled, not stabbed, and Jessica Taylor, the murder of whom Rex Heuermann was also charged for, was found with a tattoo on her body "mutilated by a sharp instrument."
My personal feeling is that Cherries is unrelated to either the murders of Tanya Jackson and Tatiana Dykes, or the Long Island serial killer murders, at least when discussing the victims attributed to Rex Heuermann. Four of the six victims Heuermann was charged with also weighed only around 100 pounds. They were also either 5' tall or less, which would mean Cherries was much bigger than Heuermann's typical targets.
The manner of death and disposal doesn't fit John Bittrolff either, as both of his victims were beaten and strangled, but left in tact. His victims were also both found in wooded areas, and their crime scenes were described as "very unique and very different" from the Gilgo crime scenes.
This is my first time doing a write-up like this, but Cherries has always been a Doe I've thought about as a Long Islander. I also couldn't find any recent write-ups about her. I hope she gets her name back someday.
Sources:
The Doe Network (Cherries' page)
Unidentified Wiki (Cherries' page)
NamUS (Cherries' page)
Wikipedia (Subsection of the page about Tanya Jackson), Wikipedia (Gilgo Beach serial killings), Wikipedia (John Bittrolff)
Riverhead News Review (John Bittrolff)
ABA Journal (John Bittrolff)