Unidentified Female NamUs #UP147381 Found in Maple Falls, Washington - Case Details

Potential Matches for Unidentified Female NamUs #UP147381 - Missing Persons in Washington

This article explores potential matches for the unidentified female (NamUs #UP147381) found in Maple Falls, Washington. NamUs lists the discovery date as November 28th, 1978, however, I think this is wrong. The discovery made the news on that date, suggesting that the remains were found at least the day prior. Newspapers are printed so early in the morning that same-day news is rare, except for evening editions.

Bellingham Herald. November 28th, 1978.

The remains, consisting of a skull with maxillary teeth, right pelvis, right femur, and right tibia, belong to a female estimated to be under 40 years old.

Jane Doe Case Details

The following table summarizes the known information about this Jane Doe, as reported in NamUs:

Category	Details
NamUs Case Number	UP147381
Biological Sex	Female
Race / Ethnicity	Uncertain
Estimated Age Group	Adult - Pre 40
Estimated Age Range	--
Estimated Year of Death	Reportedly, the Jane Doe was thought to be dead for 3-5 years, making 1973 to 1975 the likely year of death.
Estimated PMI	3-5 years, loose estimate.
Height	Cannot Estimate
Weight	Cannot Estimate
Date Body Found	Monday, November 27th, 1978. NamUs is wrong to state November 28th. That is the date it made the news but the remains were found the day earlier.
NamUs Case Created	July 8, 2025
ME/C Case Number	A-49-78
Location Found	Maple Falls, Washington
County	Whatcom County
GPS Coordinates	Not Mapped
Found On Tribal Land	Unknown
Circumstances of Recovery	Skull with maxillary teeth (upper jaw teeth), right pelvis, right femur, and right tibia found by workers doing tree service work.
Inventory of Remains	One or more limbs not recovered
Condition of Remains	Not recognizable - Partial skeletal parts only
Hair Color	Unknown
Head Hair Description	--
Body Hair Description	--
Facial Hair Description	--
Left Eye Color	Unknown
Right Eye Color	Unknown
Eye Description	--
Distinctive Physical Features	No Information Entered
Clothing and Accessories	No Information Entered

The way the teeth sounded, it said that the maxillary teeth were present. This made me think that the other teeth were not. The way it read, I assumed that the mandible may have been missing.

Top Candidates for Missing Women in the Area

The following are candidates for this Jane Doe, ranked in order. They warrant picking over by anyone interested in the topic.

Rank	NamUs #	Name	Date of Last Contact	Age	City, County	Reason for Ranking
1	MP31485	Marla Thomas	12/11/1974	22 Years	Anacortes, Skagit	Skagit County is adjacent to Whatcom County (~40 miles). Last seen in 1974, 4 years before the remains were found, aligns with a plausible PMI for skeletal remains. Age (22) fits "Adult - Pre 40."
2	MP4581	Jeannette Miller	09/16/1970	17 Years	Arlington, Snohomish	Snohomish County is near Whatcom County (~60 miles). Last seen in 1970, 8 years before, is possible for skeletal remains. Age (17, would be 25 by 1978) is within range.
3	MP14106	Pamela Burrows	01/01/1973	23 Years	Seattle, King	King County (~100 miles) is farther, but Seattle was a hub for missing persons. Last seen in 1973, 5 years before, fits PMI. Age (23) is ideal for "Adult - Pre 40."
4	MP14223	Teresa Davis	11/01/1973	18 Years	Tacoma, Pierce	Pierce County (~130 miles). Last seen in 1973, 5 years before, fits PMI. American Indian / Alaska Native aligns with "Uncertain" race and "Unknown" tribal land status.
5	MP14018	Salie Signani	06/01/1973	32 Years	Renton, King	King County (~100 miles). Last seen in 1973, 5 years before, fits PMI. Age (32) is within range but older than top candidates.
6	MP11981	Nellie Davis	01/27/1975	35 Years	Duvall, King	King County (~100 miles). Last seen in 1975, 3 years before, is a close PMI. Age (35) is near the upper limit of "Pre 40."
7	MP14228	Lorelee Lhotka	01/01/1975	19 Years	Seattle, King	King County (~100 miles). Last seen in 1975, 3 years before, is a close PMI. Age (19) is ideal, but distance lowers ranking slightly.
8	MP4935	Barbara Jolly	08/22/1976	19 Years	Seattle, King	King County (~100 miles). Last seen in 1976, 2 years before, is a very close PMI. Age (19) is ideal, but distance lowers ranking.
9	MP4398	Cherry Greenman	09/14/1976	20 Years	Waterville, King	King County (~100 miles). Last seen in 1976, 2 years before, is a very close PMI. Age (20) is ideal, but distance lowers ranking.
10	MP5896	Rhonda Burse	08/08/1977	21 Years	Burien, King	King County (~100 miles). Last seen in 1977, 1 year before, is a very close PMI. Age (21) is ideal, but distance lowers ranking.

Next Steps

To identify this Jane Doe, forensic comparison (especially dental records, given the maxillary teeth) is critical. Contact the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office or NamUs at namus@ncmec.org to request comparisons for the top candidates, particularly Marla Thomas, Jeannette Miller, and Pamela Burrows. If you have information about this case or any of the listed missing persons, please share it with authorities to help bring closure.