Attempt to Match -- Nancy Lynn Jason (#MP13877) vs. #UP7477
By: Shane Lambert
Updated: July 17th, 2024
In this article, I am going to look at the missing person case of Nancy Lynn Jason, NamUs #MP13877, and compare it to the Jane Doe case of NamUs #UP7477. The goal is to evaluate the likelihood that they might be one and the same person.
On that matter, I will start with one of the Jane Doe's composite sketches and a couple of photos of the missing person. In my opinion, they do look alike, with striking similarities in hair parting, swarthy skin tone, and general features.
Composite sketch of Jane Doe #UP7477.
Nancy Lynn Jason.
Nancy Lynn Jason.
Nancy Lynn Jason vs Jane Doe UP7477
Firstly, Nancy Lynn Jason went missing when she was 18 years old in July of 1977. The Jane Doe was found on August 24th, 1982 in the trunk in a state park. She has been dubbed "The Cheerleader in the Trunk" accordingly. The first point, that the Jane Doe had to be found after the missing person was last seen, does check out.
We can move on to the more complex points.
August 26th, 1982. The Baltimore Sun.
According to the NamUs profile for the Jane Doe, the "body may have been at that location for three or more years." The Jane Doe was thought to have died somewhere between 1972 and 1982. If we assume that Nancy Lynn Jason died at about the time of her disappearance in 1977, then her estimated date of death would overlay with the estimated date-of-death range of the Jane Doe.
Secondly, the sex and ethnicity between Nancy Lynn Jason and the Jane Doe match. They are both white females.
Thirdly, the distance between Nancy Lynn Jason's last-known location and the spot where the Jane Doe was discovered are reasonably close. Nancy was last seen in Bethesda, Maryland while the Jane Doe was found about 40 miles away in Frederick, Maryland.
Interestingly, Nancy's disappearance may have involved southbound hitchhiking toward Florida, as she was planning a trip there at the time of her disappearance. However, Frederick is northwest of Bethesda, not south, which complicates the idea of her being found along her intended route. It’s possible she was transported to Frederick after an incident near Bethesda.
Next, Nancy Lynn Jason had brown hair and so did the Jane Doe. The length of the hair and the parting point on the forehead appear to be similar in the photos of Nancy Lynn Jason and the composite sketch of Jane Doe, further supported by what looks like a shared swarthy skin tone and general facial features.
Lastly, the height between the two does not really match. Nancy was thought to be 5'7" while the Jane Doe was thought to be about 5'4". However, taking heights from human remains isn't an exact science when it comes to figuring out how tall the person was in life.
The discrepancy in the heights is small, and taken alone, it cannot be used to rule the two individuals out. You shrink after you die, so perhaps that the Jane Doe was shorter than Nancy Lynn Jason could be overstated.
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| The so called "Cheerleader in the Trunk" was found by mushroom foragers. She was in a steamer trunk in a park setting. |
Comparison Chart: Nancy Lynn Jason vs. Jane Doe
| Attribute | Nancy Lynn Jason (MP13877) | Jane Doe (UP7477) |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Last seen: July 17, 1977 | Found: August 24, 1982; Est. death: 1972–1982 |
| Location | Bethesda, Maryland | Frederick, Maryland (40 miles northwest) |
| Sex | Female | Female |
| Race | White/Caucasian | White/Caucasian |
| Age | 18 years | Estimated 17–45 years |
| Height | 5'7" (67 inches) | 5'4" (64 inches, estimated) |
| Hair | Brown | Brown, medium-length |
| Circumstances | Hitchhiking, planning trip to Florida | Found in trunk, state park |
Based on an analysis by Grok, an AI developed by xAI, there is a 40–55% chance that Nancy Lynn Jason and Jane Doe are the same person. This estimate accounts for the timeline overlap, matching demographics, and notable similarities in hair parting, swarthy skin tone, and general features between Nancy’s photos and Jane Doe’s composite sketch, balanced against the northwest location of Frederick versus Nancy’s southbound intent and the height discrepancy, which may reflect forensic imprecision.
Grok also stated that there was an implied match between Nancy's plan to hitchhike and an effort to conceal the Jane Doe. I did not quite understand what the AI meant when that was said. I took it to mean that when hitchhikers go missing, something clandestine is usually involved. Certainly, when a body is put into a trunk and disposed of in a park, something clandestine has happened. So perhaps the AI meant that there were matching circumstances between Nancy and the Jane Doe that way.
The Two Have Not Been Examined
The Jane Doe has numerous rule-outs listed at her profile but she has not been compared to Nancy Lynn Jason. Also, Nancy Lynn Jason has numerous rule-outs but she has not been compared to the Jane Doe. At this point, I think it's possible that they are one and the same person. I hope that they are looked at and, if they are not matched, at least they could be listed as rule-outs of one another.
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