Cheerleader in the Trunk

*Last Updated – July 6, 2025*

DISCOVERY:

On the evening of August 24, 1982, a couple were mushroom hunting at Gambrills State Park, in the Catochin Mountains, when they came across a steamer trunk a few feet from a gravel roadway. Curious as to its contents, they used a rock to open the trunk and discovered a woman’s putrified remains.

The location was northwest of Frederick, Frederick County, Maryland, in an area known as the Frederick City Watershed because of the water that drains into the city’s reservoir. According to police, the trunk had been covered with sticks and leaves, but wasn’t hidden from view.

AUTOPSY:

Jane Doe’s remains were brought to the morgue in Baltimore. As they were skeletal, it was determined she’d died between early spring 1982 and up to 10 years prior. However, it’s more likely her death occurred at least three years before her body was found.

While the decedent’s death was deemed a homicide, no cause could be determined.

DETAILS:

Jane Doe is described as a White female whose initial age range was estimated to be between 17 and 45, with more recent reports narrowing this down further, to around 17-27. She stood between 5’2″ and 5’6″ and weighed approximately 100-130 pounds. She had slightly wavy, medium-length dark brown hair that was presumably dyed, with investigators saying her natural colour may have been reddish-brown, based on pubic hair found in the trunk.

Given the state of the remains, her eye colour is unknown.

There was evidence that the decedent had received extensive dental work, some of which was consistent with being done by dental students. This included two crowns on her front left teeth, a root canal and numerous silver fillings. She also had one gold-filled tooth on the upper right side of her mouth.

There was evidence of previous feet and back injuries, and Jane Doe’s bones showed signs of spondylolysis. The condition results from a defect in the connection between vertebrae and can lead to stress fractures that weaken the bones. It’s most common in children and teenagers who participate in such sports as dance, gymnastics and cheerleading.

In 1983, an anthropologist analyzed the bones and made the following observations:

• The decedent was slender limbed and broad-hipped, meaning she was likely in her early 20s.

• Her family had been in the United States for at least three generations.

• Each of Jane Doe’s ribs had a small ridge along the upper surface.

• Her broad skull base and fully-round pelvis indicated she was well-nourished, meaning she was likely from a middle-class family or had previously worked on a farm.

• The decedent had two skewed wisdom teeth, which would have been very painful.

• Nearly all of her teeth showed fillings, and two of her front teeth were capped.

For unspecified reasons, investigators believe Jane Doe was possibly last seen alive within a 100-mile radius of the watershed.

RULE OUTS:

1. Helen Irene Allison, who went missing from Fairfax, Virginia, on May 11, 1972.
2. Katherine O’Neil Anderson, who went missing from Annapolis, Maryland, on April 20, 1979.
3. Maureen Russell Baca, who went missing from Adelanto, California, on August 21, 1982.
4. Marie Ann Blee, who went missing from Craig, Colorado, on November 21, 1979.
5. Michelle Busha, who went missing from Bay City, Texas, in December 1979. Her remains were discovered in Blue Earth, Minnesota, in 1980, but weren’t identified until March 2015.
6. Susan Diane Wolff Cappel, who went missing from Newcomerstown, Ohio, on March 16, 1982.
7. Barbara Louise Cotton, who went missing from Williston, North Dakota, on April 11, 1981.
8. Andrea Jean Coyle, who went missing from Altoona, Pennsylvania, on December 19, 1978.
9. Valerie Lorraine Cuccia, who went missing from Brooklyn, New York, on May 7, 1974.
10. Kathleen Durst, who went missing from Manhattan, New York, on January 31, 1982.
11. Sherry Melissa Eyerly, who went missing from Salem, Oregon, on July 4, 1982.
12. Rachael Elizabeth Garden, who went missing from Newton, New Hampshire, on March 22, 1980.
13. Zita Cecilia Gutierrez, who went missing from Bethesda, Maryland, on August 23, 1980.
14. Gina Renee Hall, who went missing from Radford, Virginia, on June 28, 1980.
15. Anne D.V. Manchester, who went missing from Newark, Delaware, on June 29, 1980.
16. Kristine Louise McClarty, who went missing from Fort Ord, California, on March 15, 1982.
17. Barbara Annette McClure, who went missing from Seattle, Washington, on November 2, 1978.
18. Judith Erin O’Donnell, who went missing from Baltimore, Maryland, on November 30, 1980.
19. Michele Reidenbach, who went missing from Zelienople, Pennsylvania, on October 6, 1981.
20. Anne Lillian Riggin, who went missing from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on May 28, 1982.
21. Betty Marie Roberts, who went missing from Baltimore, Maryland, on November 3, 1959.
22. Jeanne Marie Scrima, who went missing from Knox, New York, on March 19, 1980.
23. Eddy Milta Segall, who went missing from Nashua, New Hampshire, on June 15, 1977.
24. Nancy Marlene Snow, who went missing from Annapolis, Maryland, on November 6, 1980.
25. Emma Lorene Vaughn, who went missing from Orlando, Florida, on July 10, 1972.

CASE CONTACT INFORMATION:

Jane Doe’s dentals are available for comparison.

Those with information regarding the identity of the decedent or her manner of death are asked to contact the Frederick Police Department at either (301) 600-2100 or (301) 600-2101. Tips can also be called into the Maryland Chief Medical Examiner at (410) 333-3250.

Image Credit: NCMEC/NamUs

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