List of unidentified murder victims in California

Long Beach Jane Doe, whose body was found in 1974. This murder case was solved 39 years after she was found, yet she remains unidentified.

In California, there are many murder victims in the category of unidentified decedents, whose identities remain unknown. In most of these cases, their murderer has never been identified.

Los Angeles County John Doe (1967)

1967 Los Angeles County John Doe

On October 31, 1967, a white male was shot and left in the hallway of a hotel in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California. He was a young man, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was estimated to be between twenty and thirty years of age when he died. He was five feet ten inches tall and weighed 148 pounds. He was wearing a white shirt, white boxers, suede shoes, brown socks and tan pants when his body was found shortly after neighboring hotel guests heard the gunshot and reported the murder to police.^[1] The man had a distinct, foot long, scar on his abdomen.^[2]

Los Angeles County John Doe (1968)

1968 Los Angeles County John Doe

The body of a black male was located on February 9, 1968 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California. The victim was a young man, who was older than eighteen when he was shot to death. The John Doe was tall, approximately six feet three inches tall and weighed 156 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. His frame was noticeably thin.^[3] He was wearing a green sweater over a green turtle neck shirt. Blue pants, a brown leather belt, green socks, white boxers and gray shoes were also worn by the decedent.^[4]

Hacienda Heights John Doe

Hacienda Heights John Doe

On the night of November 5, 1972, the body of a young man who was between eighteen and twenty-five years old was discovered in Hacienda Heights, Los Angeles County, California. The victim had suffered several gunshot wounds, which were previously heard by residents. He was found at the base of a ditch next to a road that had blood visible on it, which was likely his. The John Doe wore a denim jacket, brown boots a pink shirt, bell bottoms and jeans with the words "love" and "peace" sewn on the legs, respectively. Jewelry worn by the decedent consisted of a gold-colored earring with a peace sign, a white chained rosary bead necklace.^[5] His brown or strawberry blond hair was long and his eyes were blue. He stood at six feet tall and weighed 175 pounds. He also may have worn a pair of yellow glasses found near his body. Apart from the image shown, his face has been reconstructed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.^[6]

Wilmington John Doe

Wilmington John Doe may have been a victim of Randy Steven Kraft.

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NCMEC reconstruction

On February 5, 1973, the naked body of a young man, between 17 and 25 years old was found in a ditch near a freeway in Wilmington, California. He was 5 feet 8 inches tall, and had a faint beard, medium-length brown hair, and a fair complexion. His hair and eyes were brown. He had type A blood.^[7] His teeth had had several fillings, meaning that he had received dental care. The victim had a number of thin, inch-long scars on the far end of his right leg.^[8] He had been strangled and had been sodomized with a brown sock one or two days prior. It is presumed that he was murdered by Randy Steven Kraft, who was a serial killer.^[9]

Long Beach Jane Doe

A young woman murdered in 1974. Her killer confessed to her murder in 2013.^[10]

San Mateo County John Doe (1975)

Boots worn by the San Mateo John Doe

The remains of a child aged nine to twelve were recovered on October 20, 1975, after an initial discovery on October 13 in a wooded area in Woodside, San Mateo County, California.^[11] The victim was determined to be white and was deceased between one and three years before his skeleton was found. The child was about four feet seven inches to five feet tall at an indeterminable weight. He did not likely have access to dental care, as many problems were noticed in his teeth. The body was found clothed with a pair of size seven to seven and a half boots and a blue, long-sleeved sweater and a crucifix made of wood were found near the remains.^[12] Additionally, rosary beads and a jacket liner with multicolored stripes were recovered.^[13] The body was initially believed to be that of an adult female until the victim was concluded to be a male around the age of eleven.^[14] Signs of homicide were not initially found at first, although it was eventually discovered that the child died due to a fracture inflicted on the skull. It is speculated that the victim may have been a "migrant worker."^[15] Investigators appealed to the public for tips leading to the child's identification without success.^[16]

Nipton Jane Doe

Nipton Jane Doe

The body of a white female between eighteen and thirty was found on May 30, 1976 near Nipton, San Bernardino County, California. She had died from a shotgun wound to her back and was then deposited in a mine shaft in the Mojave Desert.^[17] The victim was murdered approximately four to six days before and wore a blue swimsuit.^[18] She was overweight, approximately 140 to 150 pounds at the height of five feet four inches tall. The victim's front teeth overlapped and none of her wisdom teeth were found. She is not believed to have given birth during her lifetime. She had auburn hair and had previously painted her fingernails pink or orange.^[19]

San Diego County Jane Doe (1978)

The 1978 San Diego Jane Doe's right ear was smaller than her left, and she had a front tooth that was cracked in half.

The body of a girl between the ages of 14 and 18 years was discovered on the side of a road on February 14, 1978, in Otay, California. She had died two days prior. Her body was unrecognizable because it had been set on fire. The cause of her death was by poisoning and torture.^[20][21] The kind of poison used has not been disclosed by investigators.^[22]

Examination concluded that she was a white girl, between 5 feet and 5 feet 1 inch tall, weighing 85 to 90 pounds. Her eye color is presumed to have been brown, although the autopsy did not confirm the color. Her hair was brown and tied back with a rubber band. The victim had had her ears pierced. Her right ear was deformed and was smaller than her left ear, which was a distinctive feature.

She had had a root canal done on her bottom right front tooth, which was split into two pieces.^[23] Blueish overalls and a white top with blue flowers were the only clothing worn by the girl.^[24]

Up to 1,000 dollars is being offered for information on the case.^[25]

Long Beach John Doe (1978)

An artist's drawing of what Long Beach John Doe may have looked like.

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NCMEC reconstruction

A white man, between 15 and 23 years old, was found on June 3, 1978, less than one day after his death in Long Beach, California. He had been strangled and left in a parking lot lying face down. His right hand had been stamped with the word "paid," possibly indicating that he had recently attended some sort of festival or party. His hair was brown. His eyes were hazel. He was about 5 feet 7 to 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighed between 130 and 145 pounds. Examiners stated that he had a scar above one of his eyebrows.^{[26][27][28][29][30]}

Authorities do not believe he was a runaway or a transient, as his clothing was of good quality. He wore running shoes, and all of his clothing was blue except for a brown belt. Some have speculated that he was a victim of serial killer Randy Steven Kraft.^[3]

Riverside County Jane Doe

Riverside County Jane Doe

The body of a Caucasian female aged twenty to twenty-five was found in a ravine in Riverside County, California on February 16, 1980.^[31] The victim had died about a day or two before her discovery. Her height and weight were estimated to be five feet four inches and 120 pounds, respectively. She was found wearing a pair blue pants, sandals and a tan, long sleeved blouse. Her hair was brown and short, presumed to have been cut recently. Her eyes were hazel and she had two scars on her right arm, one on the lower portion and another on the upper. The victim may have been of high socioeconomic status because of her high-quality clothes and that her fingernails were well cared for.^[32]

Kern County Jane Doe

Kern County Jane Doe

The body of a White, Native American or Hispanic woman was located on July 15, 1980 in Delano, Kern County, California in an almond orchard. She was murdered approximately one day prior; she was stabbed multiple times until her death and was then transported to the location she was found. She had two unique tattoos; one was a heart containing the words "I Love You," "Shirley" and "Seattle" and another that read "Mother" and "I Love You." She also had scars on her abdomen and buttock. She had also worn a leg prosthesis, believed to have been the result of an injury that had occurred on her upper leg.^[33] The words on the tattoos may give evidence to where she may have been native to, such as Seattle, Washington and likely had the name Shirley or was close to someone who bore that name. However, it is also believed that she may have gone by the name of Rebecca Ochoa or Becky and was employed at an apple orchard. The woman was known to have been in the area for several weeks before she died.^[34] The victim was twenty-five to thirty-five years old at an estimated height and weight of five feet four inches and 115 pounds, respectively. It is also believed she had given birth at least once. She wore a pink top, jeans, white shoes and blue socks.^[35]

In 2015, the victim was linked to a suspect that is currently in prison, Wilson Chouest, after biological evidence recovered from the body was matched. The DNA also matched with the Ventura County Jane Doe, whose body was found days later. Chouest has since been arrested and had a history of violence toward women.^[36][37][38] He has been charged with three murders, that of both the Jane Does and the Ventura County Jane Doe's unborn son.^[39]

Ventura County Jane Doe

Reconstruction of Ventura County Jane Doe

The body of a female aged eighteen to thirty was discovered lying in a high school parking lot on July 18, 1980 in Westlake, Ventura County, California. The victim had died within twelve hours of her discovery and was likely murdered at a different location. She was estimated to be between five feet one and five feet three inches tall at a weight of 110 to 115 pounds. She was five-months pregnant with a son when she was stabbed and strangled to death after she was raped.^[37] It is believed she may have had other children besides the one she was found carrying. The race of the victim was ether Hispanic or Native American and she had brown eyes, black hair with bleached ends and penciled eyebrows; the hairs had been shaved. The victim also had pierced ears and had a large amount of dental maintenance.^[40] The victim had several scars and birthmarks: a scar from an episiotomy was found, a pair from vaccinations on her left arm and a scar on the left knee. She was clothed in a white shirt, underwear, a black bra and red pants.^[41] After the suspect was identified in the case, it was released that the woman may have possibly been kidnapped in four California counties, Tulare, Kern, Ventura and Los Angeles, as the suspect had frequented such areas at the time.^[42]

Newhall Jane Doe

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NCMEC reconstruction

On August 26, 1980, the remains of a girl, known as Jane Doe 18, were found in Newhall, California.^[43] The girl, between 15 and 20 years of age, had been shot in the back of the head two months to a year before she was found. It is believed that she was a victim of serial killer Doug Clark.^[44]

The victim was white, with light brown to blond hair, and was 5 feet 4 to 5 feet 8 inches tall. Because of decomposition, her body was skeletonized. Consequently, her eye color and weight could not be determined. She was wearing a red sweatshirt and had one hoop earring, indicating that she had pierced ears. Four fillings in her teeth and evidence of a previous surgery were found.^[45]

Four missing women have been ruled out as a possible identity of the victim.^[46]

Newhall John Doe

A day after his death, the body of a young man was found in the Angeles National Forest in Newhall, California, on December 8, 1980. He was between 16 and 25 years of age and was 5 feet 4 to 5 feet 8 inches tall. He weighed 140 to 150 pounds. He may have been Hispanic, as he had dark, curly hair and brown eyes. He had suffered severe wounds that disfigured his features, due to a gunshot to his head and four gunshots to his chest. He was fully clothed when found, wearing black boots, a beige, button-down shirt with matching pants, brown shorts, and white and green socks.^[47]

San Bernardino County John Doe (1983)

Harley Davidson belt buckle worn by the San Bernardino County John Doe, found in 1983.

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NCMEC reconstruction

The body of a teen was discovered inside of a gondola car near Bloomington, San Bernardino County, California on June 20, 1983. The victim, a Hispanic male, aged fifteen to seventeen, was killed by gunshot wounds. A pay stub was found with the body, with the name Ernesto Carillo Aguilar, with the birth date of June 24, 1963. However, authorities could not verify if it was his actual name, which indicates he was using a false name and may have been an illegal immigrant.^[48] The clothing he wore included a white shirt containing the letters NYC with an apple shape, quite possibly a reference to New York City. He also wore loafer shoes and a belt with a brass Harley Davidson buckle.^[49] He was five feet eleven inches tall and weighed 146 pounds, with dark brown, straight hair and with scars on his hand, right arm and right shoulder. The victim had been deceased within a day before his discovery.^[50]

Crescenta Valley Jane Doe

Necklace worn by the Crescenta Valley Jane Doe

On June 26, 1983, the burned body of a Caucasian female between sixteen and twenty-eight years of age was found inside of an abandoned mobile home, also burned, in Crescenta Valley, Los Angeles County, California.^[51] The victim had died less than two hours before her remains were found, yet the body was not recognizable because it had been set afire. Her hair was determined to have been straight and blond and her eyes were brown. The victim's height and weight could not be estimated, but it is believed she was of petite build and at a small height. The victim wore a square pendant on a gold chain and a gold watch.^[52] The female was strangled with wire and had been sexually assaulted with a hose, which was still present in the vaginal cavity. A suspect was arrested for her murder and was subsequently convicted. He had allegedly picked the female up earlier that day, sometime in the morning, and also stated he had beaten the victim.^[53]

Santa Clarita Does

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NCMEC reconstruction of 1986 victim

On January 8, 1986, partial human skeletal remains were located in the Santa Clarita Valley, Los Angeles County, California.^[54] The decedent is believed to have been female, although the victim may have been male and died between 1985 and 1986. The age of the person was between thirteen and seventeen, although through a dental examination, could have been as old as twenty-two. The person's race may have been Asian or Hispanic, with black hair, standing at four feet nine inches to four feet eleven inches.^[55] No traces of dental work were found in the mouth.^[56]

A second victim's skull was located near the same area on July 26, 1987. Unlike the previous victim, the skull was positively determined to be that of a female. She had dental fillings present in her teeth and was between thirty and sixty years old. The cause of her death could be due to decapitation. No other remains were ever located.^[57][58]

San Bernardino County John Doe (1986)

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NCMEC reconstruction

In Ontario, San Bernardino County, California, the body of a Caucasian male was discovered in the bedroom of a vacant house on August 21, 1986. He was of average build, standing between five feet eight inches and five feet ten inches and weighed between 130 and 140 pounds. The victim died as a result from trauma to the head and his body was left nude approximately a week before it was discovered. His upper left incisor, which may have been absent at birth, was missing and some other teeth had moved into the gap.^[59] Despite the fact that his remains were decomposing, two scars were found on his chin, which were about one inch long. His hair was light brown and he was between seventeen and twenty-two years old.^[60][61]

San Mateo County Jane Doe

Reconstructions of the San Mateo County Jane Doe

On January 11, 1987, the body of a white female, locally known as Jane Doe 87-37, was located in Daly City, San Mateo County, California. Her body was disposed of on the side of a road, underneath a group of bushes and was discovered by two children riding bicycles.^[62] A number of pills, imipramine and desimpramine, were found in her body, which she also overdosed on.^[63] Although she was strangled, her face had evidence of bruising, she had a cut lip and there were no signs that she used drugs, authorities concluded that she was likely force-fed the medication. The victim was around five feet three inches, 95 to 105 pounds and was approximately twenty-five to thirty years old when she died. She may have carried a child in the past and evidence was present that she had an appendectomy.^[64] She had straight, dark brown hair and brown eyes, her right eye may have had a cataract.^[65] The clothing the victim wore consisted of a hooded gray jacket with fleece lining, a hooded purple sweatshirt, a pair of brown and white socks, brown shoes and jeans.^[66] The shoes the victim wore were believed to have been expensive, despite the fact that she may have been a transient. She wore no jewelry, had no observable dental work, had not shaved underneath her arms or her legs and had dandruff on her scalp. Two packs of cigarettes were found with the body, one of which was full. Before she died, the Jane Doe was seen at a diner, where she purchased the cigarettes, and was witnessed arguing with a man by bystanders across the street. Although the woman's face was recognizable and her DNA, fingerprints and dental information were recovered, she was never identified.^[63] Those interviewed by police who had seen the victim had no idea who she was. Several missing people from the area that matched her description were eventually found alive.^[62] In 2011, Daly City police noted similarities between the murder of Jane Doe and the modus operandi of serial killer Joseph Naso.^[67]

San Bernardino County Jane Doe (1987)

1987 San Bernardino Jane Doe

The body of a white female with a fair complexion between forty-five and fifty-five years old was located on June 19, 1987 in Colton, San Bernardino County, California.^[68] The woman had been shot to death mere hours before her body was found. The victim had short hair that was originally auburn, but was dyed blond and it is believed that she had hazel eyes. She had two moles on her face, one on her right temple and another on the right side of her nose, which was fairly noticeable. Other distinct features the woman had included scars on her wrist, abdomen, and one near each knee. She was approximately five feet one inch and weighed between 132 and 135 pounds. She wore blue pajamas and stud earrings made from a yellow metal. The woman also wore a partial denture on her upper set of teeth.^[69]

Van Nuys Jane Doe

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Sketch

The body of a woman between twenty-four and thirty-three years old was discovered in Van Nuys, Los Angeles County, California on July 21, 1987. Her body was wrapped in a tarp and some blankets. The body was found weeks afterward. The victim had been strangled and had her arms severed at the elbows, preventing analysis of fingerprints. She had brown hair and eyes, had braces at one time in her life and also had some missing teeth and fillings in her mouth. She wore what appeared to be a handmade dress, a bra, slip, underwear and mismatched shoes, one being a high heel and the other an open toed shoe.^[70] The female was about five feet eight inches tall and was at a weight between 110 and 120 pounds. Further physical examination indicated she had been pregnant at one point in life and had consumed cocaine before her murder. It is possible that this case may be linked to serial killings in the area, but authorities are unsure. The female's body was eventually cremated.^[71]

Anaheim Jane Doe

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3D reconstruction

Front view of reconstruction

A young female, also known as Jane Doe 87-4092 EL, who appeared to be a teenage runaway was located in Anaheim, Orange County, California.^[72] Her skeletal remains were found on August 30, 1987, at the side of a freeway in the Santa Ana Canyon, with some fragments of soft tissue present. The victim was slender in build and had light hair that was long and she was likely between fifteen and nineteen years old.^[73] At the crime scene, enough hair was found with the body to determine that the girl was blond when alive, although no belongings were discovered. Her skull was reconstructed by Shannon Collis in hopes of identifying the body. Three of her teeth had visible cavities and six molars were missing. She was estimated to be between five feet one to five feet four inches tall. It is believed that the victim had died around six weeks before, possibly by stabbing in the chest area, as damage to the ribs suggested.^[74] Therefore, her death was ruled as a homicide.^{[75][76][77][78][79]}

Los Angeles County John Doe (1987)

1987 Los Angeles County John Doe

A Hispanic man was found stabbed to death on November 22, 1987 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California. He had been left on a sidewalk after his murder, which occurred on the same day. The victim was between twenty-five and thirty-five years of age, had brown eyes and black hair. Examiners concluded he was approximately five feet seven inches tall and weighed 130 pounds. DNA and dental information for the victim were never recorded, although his fingerprints were taken and are entered in national databases.^[80] The victim had no distinct markers of identification except for a scar on his right arm.^[81]

Santa Ana Jane Doe (1988)

Sketch of the 1988 Santa Ana Jane Doe

A Hispanic woman's body was found on March 31, 1988 in Santiago Park, Santa Ana, Orange County, California.^[82] Her death was by murder, as she had been stabbed multiple times in the face and once in the neck and later decapitated with the sawing motion of a blade.^[83] The body was discovered first, lacking a head. When investigators later returned to the site after four days, the head was located, believed to have been placed there after the body was removed. She was Hispanic, possibly native to the southwestern part of the country or Mexico, judging by an examination of her teeth. The victim was a young woman, presumed to be between twenty-two and twenty-eight years old, although she could have been as young as twenty. The body was clothed, with a yellow sweater, white pants, white shoes. She may have had a laparoscopy, as a scar was located on her stomach.^[84] She was estimated to be between five feet three inches to five feet five inches tall at a weight of 130 pounds. She had nine-inch long black hair.^[85][86] The case was reopened in April 2015, in hopes to identify the victim and solve her murder.^[87]

Placer County Jane Doe

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NCMEC reconstruction

Necklace

On February 10, 1990, a young woman's body was found by two men in Colfax, Placer County, California. She was between sixteen and twenty-six years old at the time of her death, which is believed to have occurred while she was hiking, three to six months before.^[88] She was around four feet ten to five foot three inches with an estimated weight range of 120 to 150 pounds, at an average or overweight build. She could have been biracial, of white and Hispanic ancestry and as she had dark brown hair with a reddish tint. Her jewelry included three earrings on her left ear and a pearl necklace, along with two mother of pearl rings. She may have been diabetic, as two insulin syringes were found near the corpse.^[89] A presumably homemade tattoo was found on her chest of a cross and she had two scars, possibly from removing cysts from her lower back and right breast. The victim wore blue shorts, a sleevelesss shirt and a pair of new sneakers, which were white. Her cause of death is unknown but is suspected to be homicide.^[90]

Solano County Jane Doe

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3D reconstruction

Sketch

On April 26, 1991, the body of a woman was found lying face-up in Vacaville, Solano County, California. The victim had died from some sort of asphyxia, either by strangulation or suffocation. She was twenty-five to thirty-five years old and was approximately five feet five inches tall. She is presumed to be white with Native American characteristics and had long hair that was brownish-blond. Although she was too decomposed to determine eye color, her fingerprints were obtained along with her dental information and DNA. She had fillings and five missing teeth, but three of them had been lost after her death. She was wearing a long-sleeved dress that was dark along with a sweater and a blue tank top, with a wool cap. No other clothing was found, except for a jacket covering the body and her dress had been pulled above her waist, indicating she was sexually assaulted. A ring with a green stone and a watch with a silver-colored face were also worn by the victim. Her body was exhumed in 1998. Along with wearing a large amount of clothing, the victim's legs were not shaved, possibly indicating she was a transient.^[91]

San Diego County John Doe (1991)

The San Diego County John Doe may have been native to Vietnam

A young man was struck in the back of his head with a two-by-four on September 8, 1991 in San Diego, California. The man died later that day. He was between seventeen and twenty-nine years old and was five feet eight inches at a weight of 112 pounds. He had dark hair and brown eyes and may have spoken to doctors in Vietnamese, although it is not certain if this was true. At the time of death, he wore a long-sleeved shirt with a plaid design and a white undershirt. It has not been published if he wore anything other than these two garments.^[92][93]

Los Angeles County Jane Doe (1991)

1991 Los Angeles County Jane Doe

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NCMEC reconstruction

On September 11, 1991, the body of a Hispanic female was located in the Green Meadows Park in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, hours after her death. The victim was between fifteen and twenty years of age at the time of her murder and was five feet two inches at a weight of 170 pounds when she died. The girl had wavy dark brown to black hair reaching past her shoulders and had brown eyes. After examining her teeth, it was discovered that one of her upper teeth had an infection that would likely be painful, which may have caused visible distress to the Jane Doe.^[94] The victim's skin on her abdomen had areas with different colors, possibly indicating that she had vitiligo. Clothing found at the scene consisted of a white shirt with blue stripes, shorts made from denim, a white bra, socks and hiking boots reaching the ankles.^[95] Marks and tan lines near her eyes indicated that she may have worn some sort of eyeglasses before her death.^[96] Scars on her body included ones on her collar bone, right lower leg and on her left knee.^[97]

Los Angeles County John Does (1992)

External images

NCMEC reconstruction of older victim

NCMEC reconstruction of younger victim

The Los Angeles County John Does may have died after participating in a gang exercise.

Two Hispanic teenage boys were shot at a bus stop on July 19, 1992. The older victim, estimated to be between seventeen and nineteen years old, wore a T-shirt, jeans and tennis shoes and had a scar on both of his thighs and one of his hips. The boy also had a small amount of facial hair and had a darker complexion than his companion. He stood at five feet six inches and weighed 170 pounds.^{[98][99][100]} His age was initially believed to have been between thirteen and sixteen.^[101] The other victim was between fourteen and seventeen years old and was of the same height, but weighed 128 pounds; his hair was somewhat longer than the other victim. He wore jeans and tennis shoes, like the older male, but wore a Casio watch and a scar was observable on one of his forearms. This victim died the same day he was found, but the other lived until 20 July.^[102][103] His original age estimation was between twelve and sixteen.^[104] The two males allegedly died after a gang initiation took place.^[105]

Los Angeles County Jane Doe (1992)

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NCMEC reconstruction

Profile

Artist's impression of the Jane Doe found in Los Angeles County, 1992

On December 9, 1992, the body of a Hispanic female was discovered inside of several trash bags in South Central Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California. Despite being four feet six inches tall, her age was estimated to between fourteen and twenty-five years old. She wore a white shirt and skirt, two silver-colored rings on her right hand, a black belt, a purple slip and was found barefoot. She was of medium complexion and build, weighing 127 pounds. The cause of her death was multiple stab wounds.^{[106][107][108]}

Happy Face Killer victims

Three women, presumably prostitutes, who were possibly killed by Keith Hunter Jesperson during August 1992 and September 1994.^[109]

Riverside County Jane Doe

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Sketch

On 24 October 1994, the body of a white female was found near Thousand Palms, Riverside County, California. She was elderly, at an age between sixty-five and eighty years old upon the time of her murder. She had been wrapped in plastic that was then secured with a brown cord that was partially concealed in the sand at the scene. The woman was approximately five feet four inches tall, although her weight could not be estimated due to decomposition. The woman had no teeth, but had worn dentures that were found with her body. However, these did not assist with the investigation as they lacked a brand name or a serial number. The woman wore blue shorts, a red shirt and a pair of underwear, but no shoes. She had brown and gray short hair and an eleven-inch scar on her abdomen that had healed.^[110] She also suffered from Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and Arteriosclerotic heart disease.^[111]

San Joaquin County Jane Doe

One of the charms found with the body of the San Joaquin County Jane Doe

The body of a woman was found on March 29, 1995 in Holt, San Joaquin County, California inside of a refrigerator bound with rope near a road. She had been murdered by a blow to the head with a blunt object around a year before she was found. The body was covered with a sleeping bag as well as a quilt. She was twenty-nine to forty-one years old and was five feet five to five feet seven inches at a weight of 110 to 130 pounds. She was white with strawberry-blond hair, had manicured nails and jewelry, including a wedding ring. She also possibly wore a charm necklace, as remnants of a leather band were located in her pocket. She wore a blue sweatshirt, denim shorts, a tee shirt, a bra, knee-high socks with various colors and expensive boots. It is believed that the refrigerator with her remains originated from elsewhere in California and likely floated along a levee to the location it was found.^[112]

Santa Clara County John Does

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Sketch of first victim

3D reconstruction of second victim

The bodies of two Hispanic men were discovered in July 1997 in Gilroy, Santa Clara County, California. The first victim's torso was found severely decomposed on July 16; his skull was also later found. He was between thirty and fifty years of age. His clothing included a Nike shirt and jeans. A second man was found on July 31 and was fifteen to forty years old. Both men were between five feet five and five feet seven inches and may have been killed by asphyxiation. It is also believed that they were disposed of in a sewer line, which lead to the Gilroy Sewage Treatment Plant. They may have been native to Mexico and could have been involved in the drug trade. They likely were murdered on the same day, up to a year prior.^[113][114]

Clarksburg John Doe

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3D reconstruction

Second 3D reconstruction

Shirt

In Clarksburg, Yolo County, California, a man's body was found on March 4, 1999. He was a victim of homicide, as he was stabbed in the chest. He was killed months before his remains were found, which were so badly decomposed that his race was not possible to estimate. He was fully clothed and placed underneath a sleeping bag next to the Elkhorn Slough estuary. He was between twenty and thirty-five years old and stood around five feet eleven inches tall at a weight of 182 pounds. His clothing included a tee shirt with a green "M," white and blue shoes and a green pair of boxers.^[115]

San Diego County Jane Doe (1999)

San Diego County Jane Doe

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Digital reconstruction

The body of a Hispanic female was located on August 11, 1999 in Oceanside, San Diego County, California. The victim was between fifteen and thirty-four years old and was between five feet one to five feet three inches tall at a weight of 135 to 143 pounds, having black hair and brown eyes.^[116] She was killed by a blow to the head at an unknown location and was then transported to a drainage ditch where her body was then disposed of. She wore a green turtle-neck shirt, blue pants, white socks and white and blue Reebok sneakers. The victim wore her dark and wavy hair in a long braid. She was the mother of at least one child, giving birth a year or less prior to her death. A six-inch scar was found on the outside of her left knee, indicating she had had some sort of surgery in the past.^[117]

Sacramento County Jane Doe

3D reconstruction of the Sacramento County Jane Doe

The burning body of a white female with a fair complexion, aged sixteen to thirty (most likely between eighteen and twenty-four), was found in a dumpster in Sacramento, Sacramento County, California on June 29, 2001. The victim was discovered to have been alive at the time the fire was set, as damage in her airways indicated. Her hair color and eye color remain unknown, although they may have been dark in color.^[118] Her teeth were very well cared for. She had no known cavities at the time of death and had many plastic sealants and porcelain caps on her teeth. She presumably had braces at one point (or she had been prepared for them) and her wisdom teeth were present, two had not emerged.^[119] Her body, found wearing only jeans, was wrapped in a comforter and was then set ablaze when disposed of.^[120] The killer may have owned an orange Datsun car, which was seen leaving the scene before she was found.^[121] She had broken her nose at one point in her life. She was between five feet to five feet six inches tall and at a weight between 90 and 140 pounds. She was between a slender to average build when alive.^[120]

"Baby Doe"

External images

Digital reconstruction

Age progression

About ten days after he was suffocated, an infant's body was located on a recycling conveyor belt on February 10, 2004 in Stanton, California. He was likely killed on the day he was born, as his placenta and umbilical cord had not yet been severed from his body. A towel was found nearby with blood on it, which may have been used during the birth and, later, to murder the infant. A newspaper and a plastic bag were also found at the scene. The victim's ethnic background was difficult to determine, but he may have been African-American or Hispanic. His hair was black and curly, and his eyes were gray.^[122]

Although he had been dead for over a week, his body was not badly decomposed; his face was still recognizable.^[123]

Yermo John Doe

External image

NCMEC reconstruction

The burning body of a man aged twenty-five to forty was found near a road on May 8, 2006 in Yermo, San Bernardino County, California. He was presumed to have died approximately one to three hours prior to his discovery. He was a white or Hispanic male at a height of five feet seven inches and a weight of around 140 pounds. Due to the amount of time his remains were on fire, little clothing survived and his features could not be recognized. However, his DNA, fingerprints and dental information were obtainable.^[124] Although he was an adult, two of his teeth had not yet emerged.^[125]

Irvine Jane Doe

The Irvine Jane Doe was six feet tall at the age of thirteen to twenty-six.

External image

NCMEC reconstruction

In Irvine, Orange County, California, the partially burned body of an African-American female was found on September 5, 2009 in a Pasternack Enterprises parking lot. The victim died less than a day before she was found and her face had not been damaged from the flames and her fingerprints, DNA and dental information were all recovered. She was tall at the age of thirteen to twenty-six, at six feet tall at a weight of 152 pounds.^[126] The victim wore a pair of animal-print shorts, a black shirt and distinct high-heels that had a zipper in the front. She also may have worn a black bra, which was burned. She had brown eyes and short to medium-length curly, dark hair. Twenty-nine missing people have been ruled out as the decedent.^[127] Her face was reconstructed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, although the reconstruction erroneously illustrated the girl with shoulder-length hair.^[128]

San Bernardino Jane Doe (February 2010)

External images

NCMEC reconstruction

Second NCMEC reconstruction

Backpack containing the head of the 2010 San Bernardino County Jane Doe

In Barstow, San Bernardino County, California, the severed head of a Hispanic female was found concealed in a backpack on February 10, 2010 on the side of a road. She was between fourteen and nineteen years old with brown eyes and brown, straight hair that was shoulder length. Because her head was all that was located, her fingerprints as well as height and weight information could not be obtained. She had died days before, but was not recognizable due to the injuries she sustained.^[129] Through examination, it was found that she had many dental fillings and had received very good dental care, possibly indicating she lived in a high socioeconomic class.^[130]

Mendocino County John Doe (2012)

For years, a Humboldt County CA family kayaked past a half-buried white tennis shoe on the bank of the Eel River. One of their trips occurred on 30 October 2012. When the family noted a second shoe protruding near the first, the father investigated. When he pulled one of the Pro Wing shoes from the dirt, a foot came with it. The family then called the Mendocino County Sheriff's Department to the site, the 83000 block of Hwy 271, Piercy, CA.^[131]

Once a Halloween prank was ruled out, the skeletal remains were deemed a homicide and were examined by CSU Chico's Human Identification Laboratory. The remains were determined to be have been buried for several years; they were of a white male 25 to 45 years old, with a stature of 5 feet 11 inches to 6 feet 5 inches. Associated with the remains, besides the shoes, were a rusty jack knife, long underwear pants, and a T-shirt. DNA testing was requested. So was botanical testing on roots intertwined with the bones. However, the best lead for identification is the T-shirt; it was imprinted with "Before I started working here I drank, smoked, and used foul language for no reason at all. But thanks to this job, I now have a reason."^[132][133]

See also

• List of murdered American children
• List of unidentified murder victims in the United States

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External links

• The Doe Network
• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
• National Missing and Unidentified Persons System