List of unidentified murder victims in Texas

The Walker County Jane Doe's case is one of Texas' most-known unidentified person cases

In Texas, there are a number of murder victims, in the category of unidentified decedents, whose identities have yet to be found. In most of these cases, their murderer or murderers have also gone undiscovered.

Harris County John Doe (1973)

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Reconstructions and clothing

Boots

A white or Hispanic male between 15 and 18 years old was found buried in a Harris County, Texas, boat shed in August 1973.

This youth is the only still-unidentified victim of serial killer Dean Corll, who, together with two teenage accomplices, killed at least 28 boys and young men between 1970 and 1973.^[1][2] He was between 5 feet 2 and 5 feet 7 inches tall, had brown hair, and is believed to have worn striped swim trunks, boots, and a shirt displaying a peace symbol. These items were found near his body.^[3]

He had received good dental care but had never received any teeth fillings. It is known that he suffered from a mild form of spina bifida.^[4] DNA testing conducted in 2008 did not match any missing person report.^[5]

A forensic examination of the boy's remains, in addition to the circumstantial fact that he was buried between two identified victims of Dean Corll (killed in August 1971 and July 1972), showed that he was killed in either 1971 or 1972.

"Orange Socks"

A fifteen- to thirty-year-old woman discovered in Georgetown, Texas, on Halloween of 1979, was naked except for a pair of orange socks. She was killed by strangulation and had contracted salpingitis.^[6]

Walker County Jane Doe

A teenage female discovered six hours after she died on October 31 or November 1, 1980. Henry Lee Lucas may have murdered her.^[7]

Harris County Does (1981)

A young man and woman who were found in January 1981. They were killed approximately two months earlier and left in Houston.^[8]

Harris County Jane Doe (1985)

The Harris County Jane Doe, found in 1985, had a tattoo of the letter "V" on her arm

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Sketch

Jewelry

On August 12, 1985, a Hispanic female, between sixteen and twenty was found inside of a vacant store with another man, who was identified as Thomas Rodriguez. She was between five feet and five feet two inches, approximately 120 to 140 pounds. Other distinctive details include two sets of earrings she wore that contained beads and shells, a tattoo on the arm of the letter 'V' and a scar resulting from the gallbladder being removed. A necklace with an arrowhead and turquoise stone design was also found on the teen's neck. It is unknown how both victims were placed at the scene.^[9]

Parker County John Doe

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NCMEC reconstruction

3D reconstruction

On October 27, 1985, the skeleton of a male between fourteen and twenty-one was found in Springtown, Parker County, Texas.^[10] The victim's remains were found on a ranch along State Highway 51 and could have been deceased since 1984, as a coin with that date was found at the site.^[11] The boy was a white male but may have had black ancestry. Because there were only partial amounts of bones located, his height and weight could not be estimated. His torso along with one or both hands and limbs were not recovered.^[12] The victim had received dental care, as fillings were found in his teeth. He had short brown hair and wore two gray jackets; one made of fleece and the other was cotton.^[13] He also wore jockey underwear and jeans. His exact cause of death is unknown, but is considered homicide.^[14]

Live Oak Doe

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Sketch reconstruction

A black, twenty to thirty-year-old subject, who was likely a trans woman or a drag queen, was pronounced dead after being transported to a hospital when found unresponsive on July 10, 1986 in Live Oak, Houston, Harris County, Texas. The cause of death was by strangulation, which may have been done with pantyhose. The subject dressed in pink pants, a gray shirt and a black belt with spikes. A pair of socks were under the shirt, likely used to mimic breasts. A heart tattoo containing a scroll was on one arm and the fingernails had been painted gold at one point. Four earrings were found in each ear, along a ring with a clear stone, a ring without a stone, a silver chain and two gold-colored necklaces. The victim may have had a drug history, as needle marks were visible on the arms.^[15][16]

Collin County John Doe

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NCMEC reconstruction

Tattoo

Belt buckle

A Hispanic male between fifteen and twenty-five was found stabbed to death on December 15, 1988 in Collin County, Texas. He had died a day before his body was found, abandoned in a culvert. He wore a motorcyclist's jacket, a white and gray striped shirt along with corduroy jeans, loafers and a belt with a multi-colored buckle. He had a tattoo on his arm of the letters "RYA" inside of a heart with an arrow through it, possibly representing a significant other or a family member. A watch, bracelet and two rubber rings were two pieces of jewelry that he wore. He was relatively short for a male, being five feet to five feet one inch tall. In his pockets, chap stick, a package of cigarettes and a disposable lighter were found.^[17][18]

Bexar County Jane Doe

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3D reconstruction of 1986 victim

On March 26, 1986, an African-American woman was shot multiple times and left near a railroad. She was between 18 and 25, standing at five feet eleven inches, which is considered fairly tall for a woman. The body had gone undiscovered for approximately three weeks to three months. The motive for the murder was apparently over an argument. Ángel Maturino Reséndiz, a serial killer, confessed to her murder, claiming he had also killed the woman's boyfriend, whose remains are yet to be found. The woman wore a white gold ring, a striped blue short skirt and a flannel jacket, which was also striped. She was believed to have been native to Florida, her first name reported to possibly be Norma. The woman along with her boyfriend and another victim have not been identified. Reséndiz apparently killed seventeen others.^[19]

"Lavender Doe"

A young adult who was found burning in Gregg County, Texas on October 29, 2006. Her nickname originated from the purple sweater that she wore.^[20]

Kendall County Jane Doe

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Sketch

A female between seventeen and twenty-six was discovered in Kendall County, Texas, on March 6, 2010. The victim's race was either Hispanic or Caucasian, possibly being a mix of both. Examination revealed that she had a large amount of dental work as well as a previous open heart surgery. Deformities were also present on the feet. She had died between one year and a decade prior to the discovery.^[21][22]

South Padre Island Jane Doe

Reconstruction of the South Padre Island Jane Doe

The decomposed remains of a Hispanic woman were found on a beach, scavenged by coyotes, on October 10, 2012 in South Padre Island, Cameron County, Texas. The victim's body was likely exposed due to changes with water levels on the beach. The woman was dead about one to several week(s) before the discovery.^[23] The sand above the body had been "covered with lime," possibly to speed decomposition or plant growth, likely as a way to prevent the body from being found or identified. Her height was estimated to be four feet ten to five feet two inches tall and her weight at about 95 to 120 pounds. She was middle-aged, at approximately forty-two to fifty-five at the time of death.^[24] One or more of the female's limbs were not found with the body, as they were likely carried away by animals. A distinctive feature about the female was that she had tattoos on her face, in place of makeup, on her eyebrows, eyelids and lips. Her ears had also been pierced.^[25] She was clothed, wearing a dark top, multicolored shorts with star decorations and bikini underwear, along with a sanitary pad. The woman's death is considered to be due to foul play and a "suspicious" white-colored "powder" was found on the face region.^[26] Since her discovery, a three dimensional reconstruction and a sketch have also been created of the victim.^[24][27]

See also

• List of unidentified murder victims in the United States

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to unidentified murder victims.

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