Mae W. Gebhard, Missing Person -- ATTEMPT TO MATCH to Jane Doe

Author: Shane Lambert

Mae W. Gebhard has been missing since February 24th, 1981. Coincidentally, that's precisely 40 years prior to the date of this article's publication. I think there's a Jane Doe in the NamUs database that is a good candidate for comparison. This is an opinion that other members of Websleuths are aligned with. Importantly, neither the Jane Doe in question nor Mae W. Gebhard have any rule-outs listed.

Gebhard's disappearance was covered in The San Francisco Examiner. On March 5th, 1981 I found news coverage of her disappearance. It said that she disappeared after a fight with her husband, that she left with 30 sleeping pills, no coat, and no money.

Thu, Mar 5, 1981 – 21 · The San Francisco Examiner (San Francisco, California) · Newspapers.com

According to the profile NamUs #MP17556, Mae W. Gebhard's disappearance had the following details:

• She was 65 years old when she went missing
• She was last seen on February 24th, 1981
• She is missing from San Francisco, California
• She was 5'3" and 100 to 104 pounds
• She was white/caucasian
• Her hair was gray or partially gray and short to medium length

Everything listed above matches up to a Jane Doe that was found on March 2nd, 1981 at the dump that serviced the San Francisco area. NamUs #UP77595, which is a Jane Doe of which only the head was recovered, has the following details:

• Estimated to be between 55 and 70 years old
• CORROBORATES Mae W. Gebhard, who was 65 years old when she disappeared
• Estimated year of death 1981
• CORROBORATES the year that Mae. W. Gebhard disappeared
• Remains found March 2nd, 1981
• CORROBORATES the time frame -- the decedent was found after Mae Gebhard disappeared
• Remains were found at a part of the Shoreline landfill garbage dumping area among refuse that appeared to be from the San Francisco County area
• CORROBORATES -- Mae Gebhard went missing from San Francisco and there is a suggestion that the Jane Doe may have come from there 
• Gray or partially gray hair that was medium length
• CORROBORATES -- hair length of Mae Gebhard is thought to be medium and gray/partially gray

The Jane Doe may have been dead for two weeks. It's here that someone might point out a discrepancy. However, decomposition rates vary with the temperature of the environment one major factor. Estimates of a date of death are nowhere near foolproof. I'm thinking that her remains being in a landfill site would serve to make her environment hotter.

This is one of those cases where the match seems so plausible that if they are not one and the same, then they need to be listed as rule-outs of one another. Without that, I think that amateur investigators will continue to associate the cases.