Today's Scripture Reading (January 22, 2022): Deuteronomy 21
She is known as "The Lady of the Dunes." The name itself reflects how little we know about
her. She was found lying facedown on a beach towel near the municipality of
Provincetown, Massachusetts, on July 26, 1974. Provincetown is a town at the extreme tip of Cape Cod. She had some
expensive dental work done, but no one has matched dental x-rays with a person. But that is the extent of what we
know about her. She exists without a name and no one who needs to be told that
she has died. No missing person has ever
been reported that matches the mutilated body found on the Dunes in 1974. There is so much that we don't know about her.
But that does not mean that she has been forgotten.
Maybe she is one of the lucky ones. There are many unsolved murders committed worldwide each year, but only a few are remembered beyond the
few days following the body's discovery. "The Lady of Dunes" is an exception, she has piqued our curiosity, and we badly want to know both who she is and who is
responsible for her death. Her body has been exhumed and repeatedly examined for
clues as our technology has advanced. Yet still, no answers have been found.
There have been theories. In August 2015, Joe Hill,
the son of the famous novelist Stephen King, advanced a theory that the "The Lady of the Dunes" had been an extra in the movie "Jaws." It is a possibility. In June 1974, "Jaws" was filming near Martha's Vineyard, about a two-and-a-half-hour drive away
from Provincetown. That "The Lady of the Dune" had made the trip to Martha's Vineyard to watch the shooting of the movie and
then had a chance to work as an extra is possible. Many locals did show up to
take part in the crowd scenes of the film. But the work of extras in 1974 was not tracked as closely as they are today, so even if it is true,
it is just another dead end.
Almost fifty years later, "The Lady of the Dunes" is still remembered. Amateur detectives are still
working on the case, even if the professionals have long given up. And that is
probably the way that it should be.
But maybe "The Lady of the Dunes" reveals an important question. Every year people in
or near our cities and towns are murdered, and in some cases, the perpetrator is never found. When that happens,
what is our responsibility in response to the death? Moses is clear. When innocent blood is spilled, part
of our responsibility is to find the person who committed the murder and make sure that they pay the price for their crime, as
society dictates. But when someone like "The Lady of the Dunes" is found, the closest town to the crime becomes
responsible. They will examine the evidence, and if no one is found, they will
be responsible for making a sacrifice to atone for the blood. If the murder
remains a mystery, they will declare that they have tried to solve the murder
but have been unable to solve the crime. Maybe more importantly, the victim will be remembered as
someone worthy of a sacrifice in the process.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 22
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