Wanda Deann Kirkum (c. 1973 - February 14, 1991), previously known as "Valentine Doe", was a young woman found murdered in Florida in 1991. She was identified in June 2020, and her case is now considered closed.
Disappearance[]
Wanda ran away from home when she was either 15 or 16, the exact date of which is unknown. Her parents, who allegedly abused her, never reported her missing. Many relatives knew she was likely being abused but did not report it. An estranged aunt from Florida provided these details after the identification took place, providing a school portrait of the victim. Both of Kirkum’s parents had died before the closure of the investigation.
Case[]
Wanda was found dead in a heavily wooded area off of mile marker 35 of US 1. She was completely naked, but clothing was found nearby. Wanda was sexually assaulted and beaten, and she was strangled to death with a bikini top.
Her clothing and absence of tan lines suggested she was not from Key West. A day before her discovery, she was seen walking northbound while hitchhiking on US 1 at about 6:30 PM. There were signs that she did try to fight back from her attacker meaning she was trying to defend herself.
Wanda was identified in June 2020 using DNA comparison. Her killer is suspected to be 31 year old Robert Lynn Bradley, who was living in Miami, Florida at the time of her murder. His semen and blood matched the samples found on Wanda. Bradley was discovered murdered in a ditch in Tarrant County, Texas in April, 1992 with gunshot wounds to his head. At this time, Bradley's motive to kill Wanda and what Wanda was doing in the Florida Keys is unknown.
Wanda's cousin is currently raising money for Wanda to have a proper burial; she is reportedly the only relative who claimed her remains.
Characteristics[]
- Brown, collar-length hair.
- Greenish-brown eyes.
- Abdominal stretch marks initially led to the suspicion she had a history of pregnancy.
- She had ovarian and Fallopian tube cysts, which may have caused her pain.
- She suffered from salpingitis.
- She had a cross tattoo on the skin between her index finger and thumb on her left hand.
- She had the word "love" tattooed on her left shoulder inside of a heart.
- At some point during life, two of her teeth had been removed.
- Each of her ears was pierced four times.
- She displayed good oral hygiene.
Gallery[]
Media[]
- The case was covered on Bloodline Detectives during their third season, in 2023.
Sources[]
- Wanda Kirkum at the Doe NetworkPOSTMORTEM WARNING
- Fear the Artist
- FL Keys News
- Evening Tribune
- Orlando Sentinel
- The Daily Beast
- The Daily News
- Bloodline Detectives POSTMORTEM WARNING
- Missing Children Help Center (archived)