Press release:
Cold Case Tuesday
New York State Police in Batavia continue to investigate the 1983 homicide of a Florida woman found in Orleans County.
On Oct. 29, 1983, a body was found by a hunter off of Route 63 in the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, in the Town of Shelby. The victim was found several feet off the shoulder of the roadway, in a severely decomposed state, and is believed to have been there for several months.
In 1984, the Center of Human Identification was used by the New York State Police to make a facial reconstruction from the remains (pictured above). This was done to make a facial render to give the public a possible identity to compare and also render sketches.
In October of 2013, the body was exhumed and DNA testing was done. The victim was identified as Shari Lynne Ball.
Ball was reported missing by her family in June of 1983 to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office in Florida. She had told her family that she was going to New York State with an unknown friend to pursue a modeling career.
At the time of her disappearance, Ball was living in Boca Raton, Fla., was a 20 year old white female, 5’ 4”, 100 pounds, with hazel eyes and blond hair. Ball was also known to use the last name of Timmerman.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact the New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation in Batavia by calling 585-344-6200. Please refer to SJS # 3032334.
