DISCOVERY:
Three men were fishing along Slaughter Creek, near the banks of the Black Warrior River, on April 18, 1982. The location, in Romulus, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, is near the Old Robinson Bend Landing, next to Robertson Cemetery Road.
Not long after they arrived, the trio saw what they thought to be a large log covered in weeds. Upon closer inspection, they realized the body of an unidentified woman was behind it, lying partially submerged in the water.
AUTOPSY:
Jane Doe’s remains were collected by the local authorities for examination. It was determined she’d died within 24 hours of being found, with her cause of death being strangulation. Prior to this, she’d been beaten and sexually assaulted.
DETAILS:
Jane Doe is described as a 30-to-40-year-old White female with a ruddy complexion, indicating she frequently engaged in outdoor activity and may have performed manual labour. She stood at 5’4″, weighed between 110 and 115 pounds, and had shoulder-length dark brown or black hair. Her eyes were possibly brown, and she had a visible scar under her right eyebrow.
When found, the decedent was wearing a long-sleeve Preppy brand button-up shirt that was light blue in colour; knitted blue pants with an elastic waistband; a white bra and underwear; and grey tennis shoes, size 7.
The examination of Jane Doe’s remains found she may have given birth in the past and had type “O” blood. She also had an upper partial denture plate, which replaced her central and lateral incisors.
INVESTIGATION:
A search of the location where the decedent was found showed signs of a struggle, leading investigators to theorize she’d been killed where her body was dumped. It’s also possible she’d been fishing at the scene just prior to her death.
A group of campers were interviewed not long after by investigators. They’d set up their tent close to where Jane Doe was found, but didn’t recall hearing, smelling or seeing anything out of the ordinary.
A second group of witnesses riding three-wheelers recalled seeing a woman matching Jane Doe’s description on April 16, 1982. She was with a man between 35 and 40 years old. Their vehicle, a 1973 or ’74 Ford LTD with a dark vinyl top and possible frontend damage, had become stuck in the mud along Robertson Cemetery Road.
The woman had asked the group for assistance while the man stayed with the vehicle, visibly upset and blaming her for the incident. He also spoke about having been at a bar earlier in the day. According to the witnesses, he was White, with a ruddy, reddish complexion. He weighed around 180-200 pounds, stood at 6’1″ and had a muscular build. He was also clean-shaven.
Homicide detectives initially worked the case. While they looked into every lead, including scouring missing persons reports and sharing details with the public, they were unable to identify the decedent. At the time, it was believed her killer could have been someone local, given the location where her body was found. That being said, it’s believed she herself may not have been local and, instead, a drifter.
In 2013, Jane Doe’s remains were exhumed to extract DNA and further look at her bones. This was part of a renewed effort to identify her and her killer.
RULE OUTS:
- Cynthia Colleen Allegro, who went missing from Independence, Missouri on February 12, 1982.
- Theresa Elizabeth Baxter, who went missing from Huntington Beach, California on August 1, 1977.
- Andrea Jean Coyle, who went missing from Altoona, Pennsylvania on December 19, 1978.
- Sandra Louise Matott, who went missing from Salt Lake City, Utah on July 10, 1979. Her remains were found just over a month later, but weren’t identified until August 2021. Her now-deceased husband is believed to be responsible for her disappearance and death.
CASE CONTACT INFORMATION:
Miss X’s dentals and fingerprints are available for comparison. It’s currently unknown if DNA was extracted following the recent exhumation of her remains.
Those with information regarding the decedent’s identity and/or murder are asked to contact the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office at (205) 752-0616 or the Tuscaloosa County Metro Homicide Unit at (205) 344-5420. Tips can also be called into the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences at (205) 344-5420 or anonymously via Crime Stoppers at (205) 752-7867.
Image Credit: Unidentified Wiki/The Doe Network
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