DISCOVERY:
On April 13, 1992, a local sheriff and workers from the State Highway Department came upon the decomposed body of a woman in a ditch along the southbound side of I-90. The body was located near mile marker 5, approximately five miles south of the border between Wyoming and Montana.
AUTOPSY:
Upon Jane Doe’s body being examined, it was determined her death likely occurred a month or so before she was found, in February 1992.
While the first autopsy didn’t result in the cause of death being determined, it did rule out strangulation, stabbing, sexual assault and strangulation. A later examination of the remains would conclude Jane Doe died as a result of blunt-force trauma to the head.
DETAILS:
Given the level of decomposition, Jane Doe’s features were unrecognizable. However, forensic testing was able to determine the following: she was a white female between the ages of 16 and 21 years old. She stood between 5’5″ to 5’6″ and weighed approximately 110 to 115 pounds. Her shoulder-length brown hair had a straight-to-wavy texture and was sun-bleached, indicating she likely spent a lot of time outdoors, and her pubic hair was found to be dark brown. Unfortunately, her eye colour couldn’t be determined.
When found, Jane Doe was wearing a pullover light blue and white checkered midriff shirt that was tied beneath her breasts and featured several pearl and false jewelled buttons extending to the mid-chest region; size 5-6 blue jeans with a wide plastic white belt with a silver-coloured bracket; a 38C light blue lacy support bra; and nylon pink bikini panties that featured a paisley design. She also had a brass sphere post style earring in her right ear. She was not wearing any socks or shoes.
Her dental records show she had five fillings, indicating she had access to some form of dental care. Reconstructions of how she might have looked before she died show she had crooked teeth.
An examination determined she had given birth at least once in her life.
Type O blood found on the body matches that from another unidentified Jane Doe, nicknamed Bitter Creek Betty, who was discovered dumped along I-80 in Sweetwater, Sweetwater County, Wyoming on March 1, 1992. While the sheriff who discovered Jane Doe was aware of the Bitter Creek Betty case, investigators at first believed the two cases weren’t connected. However, the DNA evidence suggests the two women were murdered by the same person.
It’s believed Jane Doe was murdered in another location and dumped along I-90. As such, the current theory is that she could have been a hitchhiker.
She and Bitter Creek Betty were buried without headstones at Rest Haven Memorial Garden Cemetery in Rock Springs, Wyoming.
RULE OUTS:
1) Kimberly Amero, who went missing from Saint John, New Brunswick on September 3, 1985.
2) Amy Gibson, who went missing from Greensboro, North Carolina on December 12, 1980.
3) Virginia Uden, who went missing from Lander, Wyoming on September 12, 1980.
4) Carlene Brown, who went missing from Rawlins, Wyoming on July 1, 1974.
5) Debbie Misquez Escalante, who went missing from Las Cruces, New Mexico on August 21, 1989.
6) Debra Frost, who went missing from Salt Lake City, Utah on July 9, 1984.
7) Barbara Gallagher, who went missing from Azalea, Oregon on September 1, 1988.
8) Donna Gonzales, who went missing from Rayne, Louisiana on April 7, 1992.
9) Kathryn Rahe (also referred to as Kathryn Gregory by some agencies), who went missing from Spokane, Washington on November 3, 1981.
10) Kimberley Kersey, who went missing from Vancouver, Washington on March 11, 1987.
11) Pamela Neal, who went missing from Englewood, California on March 31, 1983.
12) Deborah Owens, who went missing from Oroville, California on November 19, 1978.
13) Eleanor Parker, who went missing from East Baton Rouge, Louisiana on November 10, 1981.
14) Leichia Reilly, who went missing from West Seneca, New York on January 31, 1985.
15) Janis Sanders, who went missing from Niles, Michigan on July 21, 1975.
16) Nancy Shoupp, who went missing from Boulder, Colorado on April 28, 1990.
17) Kelly Sims, who went missing from Kelso, Washington on October 16, 1990.
18) Sheree Warren, who went missing from Salt Lake City, Utah on October 2, 1985.
CASE CONTACT INFORMATION:
Jane Doe’s DNA, dentals and fingerprints are currently available for comparison.
Those with information regarding the identity of Jane Doe are being asked to contact the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office at 307-777-7181 or the Sheridan County Coroner’s Office at 307-673-5837. Tips can also be called into FBI ViCAP at 1-800-634-4097 or the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation at either 307-777-7181 or 307-672-8979.
Image Credit: Carl Koppelman/The Doe Network
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