Arroyo Grande Jane Doe

Arroyo Grande Jane Doe

Digital image created from study of morgue photographs to depict an estimation of the victim in life

2015 reconstruction created by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
Born 1955-1966 (approximate)
Status Unidentified for 36 years, 10 months and 8 days
Died October 4, 1980
(age 14-25)
Cause of death Homicide by stabbing
Body discovered October 5, 1980
Henderson, Nevada
Resting place Clark County, Nevada, United States
Known for Unidentified victim of homicide
Height 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m)
Weight 103 lb (47 kg)

Arroyo Grande Jane Doe, also known as Jane Arroyo Grande Doe, is the name given to an unidentified American murder victim, discovered on October 5, 1980 in Henderson, Nevada. Her identity has never been successfully established.

Discovery

At approximately 9:20 PM, October 5, 1980, an unclothed white female between 13 and 25 years old (most likely younger than 19) was found with blunt force trauma to the back of her head (believed to be from a hammer), signs of injury to the face and stab wounds on her head and back.[1] She was found near Arroyo Grande Boulevard, close to state highway 146, where interstate 215 is now.[2][3][4][5] She had been placed in a "posed" position and was face-down.[6] The body was discovered by two men driving on a dirt road, one of whom was an off-duty police officer.[7] Examiners determined that the blade of the weapon, believed to be an ice pick, that was used to stab the victim was around three inches long.[6][8] The body appeared to have been washed and fragments of a shower curtain were nearby.[1]

Her hair was naturally brown, red, or strawberry blond and was shoulder-length. She stood around five feet two inches tall and weighed between 103 and 110 pounds.[9] She had wisdom teeth as well as a gap visible between two teeth on her upper right set. She wore earrings and painted her nails silver.[10] The victim had dental fillings in some of her teeth, showing that she had seen a dentist.[8] Her eyes were a hazel-blue (some sources state green) and a presumably amateur tattoo of an "S" was on the inside of her upper right arm.[3][11] This tattoo appeared to have been "inked" not long before she died.[1] She likely died a day before she was discovered.[8][12] The victim had a suture procedure on one of her teeth, which led investigators to believe she was not impoverished.[1]

The officer who discovered her body, who was off-duty, donated money for the victim's burial, regularly visits the site with his wife, and donates flowers in her memory.[5][13]

Investigation

Additional rendering of the victim

Investigators made extensive efforts to get the body of the young woman identified. The victim's fingerprints and dental records were taken but could not be matched to anyone.[14] Eventually, the victim's DNA profile was developed by the University of North Texas and was entered into national databases, which failed to turn up her identity.[8] Television shows broadcast the case in hopes to generate leads, none of which led to her identification or apprehension of her killer or killers.[9] Forensic facial reconstructions were created to provide a likeness of the Jane Doe, which were hoped to generate recognition for those that may have known her.[8]

In 2003, her body was exhumed when authorities followed clues to a missing girl from California, who was eventually ruled out by DNA.[15][16][17][18] To date, 11 missing people have been excluded as potential identities for the victim.[14] The body was exhumed in 2002 and 2009 as well.[4][5]

The former coroner for Clark County when the victim's body was found now works with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. He explained that "someone was missing their little girl", and asserted his beliefs that there were individuals that would know who the victim was, citing that he hoped the reconstructions created of the victim would trigger recognition.[11] He explained that the victim's case was one of the reasons that the local department developed a "cold case unit" for its unsolved cases.[6] The officer who found the body described similar feelings about the case.[13]

In June 2015, "Arroyo Grande" Jane Doe's case was officially reopened by investigators.[5] On October 5, 2015, the 35th anniversary of her discovery, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children released two new reconstructions, one frontal view of the face and the other as the profile.[19] The new image replaced a version that the organization had created.[11]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Lundeberg, Cyndi (14 November 2016). "Jane Arroyo Grande Doe's identity key in solving her killing". Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  2. ↑ Matt, Guillermo (October 5, 2015). "Henderson slaying victim still unidentified 35 years later". Fox 5 Vegas. Fox. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Henderson Police Still Trying To ID Body". CBS Las Vegas. CBS. 5 October 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  4. 1 2 Goldblatt, Rochel Leah (28 November 2013). "Resolving cold cases important to Clark County coroner". Las Vegas Review-Journal. GateHouse Media. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Gonzalez, Vicki (13 May 2015). "Jane 'Arroyo Grande' Doe cold case open 35 years later". 3 News NBC. NBC. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 Gonzolez, Vicki (16 August 2015). "Jane "Arroyo Grande" Doe". NBC 3 News. NBC. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  7. ↑ Friess, Steve (25 January 2004). "To identify 'John Doe' victims, investigators turn to the Web". Boston Globe. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Case File: 258UFNV". The Doe Network. 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  9. 1 2 Torres, Ricardo (5 October 2015). "Henderson police release drawing from 35-year-old Jane Doe case". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  10. ↑ "Clark County Case Number: #80-1221". Clark County Police Department. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  11. 1 2 3 "DID YOU KNOW ME?". YouTube. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. 5 October 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  12. ↑ "Jane Doe 1980". missingkids.org. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  13. 1 2 "Jane 'Arroyo Grande' Doe cold case open 35 years later". 3 News NBC. NBC. 13 May 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  14. 1 2 "NamUs UP # 46". National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. 30 June 2007. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  15. ↑ Heinecke, Jeanne (August 15, 2007). "Identifying the unknown". officer.com. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
  16. ↑ Friess, Steve (January 2, 2004). "Nevada coroner puts photos of deceased on Internet / Visitors urged to try to help identify Jane and John Does". Houston Chronicle. p. 1. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Jane Arroyo Grande Doe". August 26, 2008. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Nevada Unidentified". August 25, 2007. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
  19. ↑ Bleakley, Caroline (5 October 2015). "Police release image of Jane Doe found in 1980". Las Vegas Now. CBS. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
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