Carbon Jane Doe - Funeral Home Theory

Author: Shane Lambert
Original Time of Writing: August 23, 2025

All articles are subject to editing after the original posting.

Could Funeral Homes Dump Bodies to Cut Costs? A Carbon, Alberta Jane Doe Theory

In the unsettling case of the Carbon, Alberta Jane Doe, discovered roadside on April 20th or 21st, 1995, a peculiar detail stands out: the possibility that her remains were removed from a grave. When examining this case back in 2021, I raised the reasons why a dead person might be removed from a grave. They were:

(1) Exhumation for legal or scientific reasons;

(2) Necrophilia;

(3) Extreme mourning;

(4) Or to fake a death.

But while reading about some modern news in an unrelated case, I came across one where a woman who was dead and her remains were set to be cremated was instead found in a park. At the time of writing, the investigation in that particular case was still in progress. 

The case raised a chilling question to me—could funeral homes or morticians dispose of bodies improperly to save money? While this idea may seem far-fetched, the financial pressures of the funeral industry and historical precedents suggest it’s worth exploring as a potential explanation for the Carbon Jane Doe.

Carbon Jane Doe: A Mysterious Case

The Carbon Jane Doe was found near the small village of Carbon, Alberta, about an hour northeast of Calgary. Estimated to have died between 1980 and 1985, she was a female, likely aged 20–40, standing 5’0” to 5’4”, with a possible Indigenous or mixed background. Intriguingly, a 1995 Calgary Herald article suggested her remains may have been removed from a grave. For more details on her case, see the RCMP profile (Service Canada Reference #2016069642) or my previous article from January 4th, 2021.

Funeral Industry Pressures and Cost-Cutting

Funeral homes operate in a competitive, high-cost industry. Embalming, caskets, cremation, and burial services require significant resources—chemicals, labor, and facility space/maintenance all add up. For smaller or unscrupulous operations, cutting corners can be tempting.

Disposing of a body without proper burial or cremation could, in theory, save thousands of dollars per case, especially for unclaimed remains or clients with limited funds. While rare, there have been documented cases of funeral homes mishandling bodies to reduce costs.

For example, in the United States, cases like the Tri-State Crematory scandal in 2002 revealed hundreds of bodies dumped or improperly stored instead of cremated, as families were told. The matter made the news and the following snippet is from the November 2nd, 2003 edition of The Tennessean. There was a broader story with more details but the reader can see how financial burdens might affect the proper running of a company who is charged with properly disposing of human remains.

Why Dump a Body? A Cost-Control Hypothesis

Imagine this scenario: a funeral home in western Canada in the early 1980s takes on a low-budget client or an unclaimed body. Instead of incurring the costs of a proper burial—land for a grave, a casket, or even cremation—they do some work on the body for the funeral then quietly dispose of it in a remote location. To the police, it looks like it was in a grave because of the evidence of the mortician's work. This could explain the Jane Doe’s roadside discovery and the suggestion of prior burial.

Challenges in Proving the Theory

Proving that a funeral home dumped the Carbon Jane Doe is no easy task. First, there’s little public evidence of Alberta funeral homes engaging in such practices during the 1980s. Second, if she was an unclaimed body—perhaps someone without family to notice her absence—there’d be no one to report a mishandled burial. Finally, there is the passage of time (over 40 years since her estimated death) and as time passes it also makes records more scarce and it increases apathy toward a case.

Could This Solve the Carbon Jane Doe Case?

The Carbon Jane Doe’s case remains unsolved, and while this hypothesis is speculative, it highlights a grim reality: the funeral industry isn’t immune to unethical practices. I think the darker side of this industry should be considered in relation to this strange Jane Doe case.

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

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

This_Spans 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

Notes on Remains

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.

Missing Persons News - DNA Doe Project Identifies St. Croix County Jane Doe as Alyce Peterson

DNA Doe Project Solves 23-Year Mystery of St. Croix County Jane Doe

By: Shane Lambert
Original time of writing: August 15th, 2025

In a recent release, the DNA Doe Project announced the solving of a 23-year-old Wisconsin cold case. They identified a skull found in Houlton, Wisconsin, in 2002 as belonging to Alyce Catharina Peterson, a 92-year-old woman from Stillwater, Minnesota, who died of natural causes in 2001.

The breakthrough, announced by the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office and the DNA Doe Project, sheds light on a perplexing case that began when Boy Scouts discovered a skull in a plastic bag at a camp near Houlton on October 21st, 2002.

Source: DNA Doe Project, St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office

Initially, forensic analysis suggested the skull belonged to a woman of Asian, Asian Pacific, or Native American descent, aged 35-60. It was thought that she had been deceased for about a year. The woman was missing all her teeth and had short, mousy-brown hair. Dubbed the "St. Croix County Jane Doe," her identity remained elusive until the Sheriff’s Office partnered with the DNA Doe Project in 2021.

The estimates of her age and ethnicity were far off. One therefore has to wonder if this case would have been solved without the insights of genetic genealogy.

Using investigative genetic genealogy, the DNA Doe Project generated a profile and uploaded it to GEDmatch and FTDNA databases. Surprisingly, the results indicated the woman was Caucasian with recent Swedish ancestry, challenging earlier assumptions.

Family tree research was key in this case. A key DNA match in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, led researchers to focus on a family tree linked to Swedish immigrants in the U.S. After tracing descendants to Stillwater, just miles from the discovery site, the team identified Alyce Peterson, born in 1909, as a potential match.

Peterson, who lived in South Dakota before moving to Stillwater, died in a St. Paul hospital in 2001. Her age at death—92—far exceeded the initial estimate, but the timeline aligned. A niece’s DNA test, sharing approximately 25% DNA with the unidentified woman, confirmed Peterson’s identity.

“This is the first time I’ve seen a Doe identified as someone with a death certificate and who was supposedly cremated,” said case manager Eric Hendershott.

Authorities are now investigating what happened to Peterson’s body after her death.

The DNA Doe Project praised the collaborative effort, crediting the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office, Astrea Forensics, HudsonAlpha Discovery, and volunteer genealogists.

“This unexpected result turned out to be a huge lead,” said co-team leader Robin Espensen, highlighting the pivotal role of the Stockholm DNA match.

Important Takeaway From this Case

I think those that follow missing people cases should take away something important from this case. Mainly, the decadent was never really a missing person. She died of natural causes at a very old age, she reportedly was to be cremated, but somehow her skull ended up in a park.

In short, if you think about it anyone who was cross-referencing the Jane Doe report to missing persons reports would never have found a potential match. Alyce Peterson was known to be dead and thought to be cremated so her family would not have distributed any missing persons reports.

A skull found with teeth removed would suggest something clandestine to those familiar with these kinds of cases. Teeth are identifiers, just as fingerprints are. Even though DNA is the most reliable identifier, the other methods of identification remain valuable. Someone whose skull is found in a park with missing teeth would look like someone whose body was discarded in a way to prevent identification.

It will be interesting to see what news comes from this.

Another important takeaway is just how far-off age and race estimates can be. This was a woman in her 90s but the estimate of her age was put as low as 35. I don't know that I have ever seen a resolved case where the age estimate was 57 years off before. Furthermore, the individual was Swedish and that's not in the Native American, Hawaiian, or Asian groups.

When the estimates are telling you to look for a 35-year old Hawaiian instead of a 92-year old Swede, you can see how difficult it can be to help in these cases using research alone (as opposed to DNA).

Posted by Missing Persons Commentary
Source: DNA Doe Project, St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office

Follow Missing Persons Commentary for more updates on unsolved cases and breakthroughs in identification.

Dorothy Jean Vaillancourt: A Jane Doe Cold Case Finally Solved After 59 Years

The Unsolved Mystery of Dorothy Jean Vaillancourt: A Cold Case Finally Identified After 59 Years

By: Shane Lambert
Original time of writing: March 21st, 2025

This article is part of a short-term series where I am doing deep dives at some solved cases to see what the circumstances were. Click on the label "Deep Dive at a Solved Case" to see other similar articles.

• Discover how a 59-year-old cold case was finally solved and explore the modern forensic techniques that cracked this decades-long mystery.
• Uncover the haunting details of Dorothy’s final days in 1966 and delve into the investigation that struggled to name her.
• Learn why Dorothy remained unidentified for so long and why no one reported her missing.

Investigators solved a nearly 60-year-old mystery recently. The remains of a woman found in Tiburon, California, were identified as Dorothy Jean Vaillancourt (née Williams). Known as "Marin County Jane Doe," her case had baffled investigators since her decomposed body was discovered on Sunday, December 18th, 1966.

Despite extensive efforts at the time, no missing person’s report was ever matched to her. In fact, even now knowing who she is, I could not locate any missing report for the named individual. There may be one out there but it eluded my search efforts for the time had for the task.

Clouded in ambiguity, her identity remained a mystery until modern forensic genealogy cracked the case. This blog post explores Dorothy’s story, the investigation, and why she remained unidentified for so long.

The Discovery: Sunday, December 18th, 1966 and Early Journalism from the Area

On Sunday, December 18th, 1966, 15-year-old Arthur Munoz made a grim discovery while hunting near Tiburon, California. About 25 feet down an embankment off Paradise Drive, near the 3400 block (approximate location), he found the decomposed remains of a woman. The Marin County coroner estimated she had been dead for two to three months, meaning since about late September 1966.

She was described as slight, middle-aged (30-55 years old), about five feet one inch tall, weighing around 95 pounds, with reddish-brown hair and a thin face. Her possessions included a single-jewel wristwatch, a package of cigarettes, and a woman’s scarf in her coat pocket.

I will say that a scarf is a strange possession to have in September in California. I highlight it now because it is something I will return to.

Returning to the dead body's description, a wire suture near her left eye socket was likely a metal wire used in surgery to repair a facial bone fracture. She also had full upper dentures, both of which were noted as potential identifying features in a time frame well before DNA.

Her clothing consisted of a light tan trench coat with blue plaid lining, a sleeveless red shift-type dress, and white leather loafer shoes. However, her clothing lacked labels, and there were no signs of injury or foul play, though homicide was not ruled out.

AI-Generated. Not the actual person or clothing. Image of clothing generated based on the description. Image would not reflect condition or accidental characteristics of the clothing from real life. Nor could the styles, shades, or patterns be considered authentic. The image is meant for a general idea.

The Investigation: A Search for Identity and Leads

The Marin County Sheriff’s Office, led by Sidney Stinson, launched an investigation to identify the woman and determine her cause of death. The Daily Independent Journal reported on Monday, December 19th, 1966, that deputy coroners were checking missing person’s reports, but none matched her description. By Tuesday, December 20th, 1966, the investigation escalated with skin tissue and hair samples sent to the FBI in Washington, D.C., and a state-wide bulletin was issued to police agencies.

On Tuesday, December 20th, 1966, Fireman Thomas W. Murphy of the Trestle Glen fire station in Tiburon provided a key lead. He recalled a woman matching the description who visited the station in late September 1966, asking to spend the night. When refused, she then asked to borrow a car, which was also declined.

She walked off toward Tiburon Boulevard after being denied, aligning with the autopsy’s estimated time of death. On Thursday, December 22nd, 1966, an employee at the Tiburon Lodge (1651 Tiburon Boulevard, San Rafael) reported that a woman had stayed there s few months prior. The location of this lodge, which I found in historical newspapers, was in the same general area as the fire station and the location of the dead body.

However, it’s possible that it was not Dorothy who stayed at the hotel, as you would think the registration card would be a strong identifier. Then again, maybe the hotel may not have required identification for a stay. The practice of requiring identification for checking in to a hotel has definitely become more stringent over time.

On Friday, December 23rd, 1966, an unauthenticated report suggested she may have been a patient at Langley Porter Neuropsychiatric Institute in San Francisco, where Stinson planned to take her items for potential recognition. Her association with this facility is a matter requiring further investigation. Despite these leads, the woman remained unidentified, as none matched a missing person’s report.

Dorothy’s Life: A Glimpse Before the Tragedy

Dorothy Jean Vaillancourt (née Williams) had a life that spanned continents, offering context for her potential isolation. Born in Tasmania, Australia (source: DNASolves), she immigrated to the United States before 1966, though the exact timeline remains unclear. Her maiden name was Williams, and she married into the surname Vaillancourt, though I did not readily find details of this marriage.

Assuming the reports of her sighting are true, she stayed at the Tiburon Lodge and visited the Trestle Glen fire station, asking to spend the night at the latter place on what might have been her last night alive. She claimed she lacked enough money for a taxi. Her requests were denied, and she walked off, marking her last known sighting alive.

The association in journalism with mental health challenges may have contributed to her transient lifestyle and isolation. Her presence in California, far from Tasmania, raises questions about her journey and connections in the United States.

Why Wasn’t She Reported Missing?

The absence of a matched missing person’s report in 1966 points to several possible explanations. Dorothy’s transient lifestyle, staying at motels and seeking shelter at a fire station, suggests she might have been disconnected from family or friends. The unauthenticated report of her possible mental health treatments indicates she may have been in a vulnerable state, potentially estranged from loved ones.

Her Tasmanian origins add complexity to the mystery of her disappearance. If her family remained in Australia, they might not have known she was in California or in trouble. But I didn't find a missing persons report, even in the years and decades after 1966.

One possibility is that a report was filed somewhere but lacked sufficient detail to match her remains. Conversely, she might have only been missing in word-of-mouth between associates. But the dentures and wire suture should have been enough to connect her to any kind of reasonably thorough missing persons report.

Searching for a Missing Person’s Reports

In researching Dorothy’s case, I looked for a missing person’s report in both Australia and the USA. I did not find one in the time I had for the task. Readers with behind-the-paywall memberships to databases like Newspapers.com are invited to look further for potential clues.

You have to be aware of her maiden name Williams. Also, Dorothy is occasionally abbreviated as "Dot" so that's a secondary search term. Given her Tasmanian origins and eventual presence in California, such a report might exist in historical archives or newspapers from either region.

It could offer insight into her disappearance. This search might uncover whether her family reported her missing in 1966 or even in the decades that followed. Sometimes family members don't realize something is amiss for a great span of time after last hearing from someone.

The Ambiguity of Her Final Days

The circumstances leading to Dorothy’s death remain ambiguous, leaving many questions unanswered. Her statement to the fireman that she lacked money for a taxi, despite wanting to go to a hotel, is puzzling. If she had funds for a hotel then those funds should cover a taxi.

Her request to borrow a car might be interpreted as the proverbial "call for help" from someone who is suicidal. I think a fire station is a building someone might approach in hopes of finding someone sympathetic.

Conversely, as her last sighting is described, she may have ended up reliant on hitchhiking, a dangerous mode of transportation that could have led to a clandestine fate. She certainly would not be the first female hitchhiker to end up dead on an embankment underneath some brush. Yet, one article said she had no injuries and you would expect injuries if she had been murdered.

So without a safe place to sleep, she might have rested exactly where she was found on the embankment. Maybe she poisoned herself or simply succumbed to hypothermia. I will reveal that this latter scenario is my opinion on what happened. I think she tried to find a spot to sleep, suffered in the chill of the night, and then didn't have the strength to carry on after that.

By her clothing, she doesn't look homeless to me so maybe she was on the edge of something. I do think it's a bit strange that this individual was carrying a scarf in California in what would have been the summertime or early fall. Was it a fashionable scarf or the kind meant for warmth? I think that's an odd possession to have in a region with highs around 72°F (22°C) during that time frame (yes, I looked it up).

But a scarf in her possession makes a bit more sense if she was thinking she might have to sleep outside and face the low temperatures of the night. We may never know the full story but this was someone who was in search of lodging, presumably late, and didn't find the help she needed.

She is buried at Mt. Tamalpais Cemetery and Mortuary in San Rafael, California. I did not find her Jane Doe grave on Findagrave. Perhaps she has no marker, which may change in the days, weeks, or months ahead.

Down and Out in the Canadian Rockies

A BLEAK GLIMPSE INTO RESORT TOWN LIFE FROM A WORKER'S PERSPECTIVE

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Conclusion and Sources

Source: DNASolves.com on Wednesday, March 19th, 2025.
Also: As reported by Kerry Breen for CBS News on Thursday, March 20th, 2025.

Dorothy Jean Vaillancourt: 1966 Marin County Jane Doe Newspaper Clippings Revealed

The following historical newspaper clippings from 1966 document the initial investigation into the unidentified woman later known as Marin County Jane Doe, now identified as Dorothy Jean Vaillancourt. These articles, sourced from the Daily Independent Journal and the San Francisco Examiner, provide a glimpse into the early efforts to identify her and understand her final days.

December 19th, 1966 – Daily Independent Journal: "Body Found at Tiburon Embankment"

December 20th, 1966 – San Francisco Examiner: "No Injuries Found on Dead Woman"

December 20th, 1966 – Daily Independent Journal: "Fireman Adds to Mystery of Unidentified Woman"

December 22nd, 1966 – Daily Independent Journal: "One New Lead in Identifying Woman’s Body"

December 23rd, 1966 – Daily Independent Journal: "Still Trying for Identification"

Interpol’s Breakthrough: Solving the "Woman in the Chicken Coop" Cold Case

The Woman in the Chicken Coop Identified

By: Shane Lambert
March 20th, 2025

This article is part of a short-term series where I do deep dives at some solved cases to see the circumstances. Click on the label "Deep Dive at a Solved Case" to see other similar articles.

A promising breakthrough emerged in Interpol’s "Identify Me" campaign on Thursday, March 20th, 2025. This campaign, designed to identify missing people across international borders, cracked a haunting cold case. Detailed in a CBS article titled "Transcontinental cold case solved as victim dubbed 'woman in the chicken coop' is identified," the story reveals a long-awaited resolution.

Breakthrough in the Case

A Paraguayan woman, once a Jane Doe known only as "the woman in the chicken coop," has been identified as Ainoha Izaga Ibieta Lima, aged 33. Found hanged on a farm in Girona, Spain, in August 2018, her death remains a mystery—was it suicide or murder? The CBS report leaves it unclear.

Locals couldn’t identify her, and without ID, she stumped authorities for years. Then, a 2019 missing persons report from her brother became the key. Today, her family faces a bittersweet moment: closure, yet sorrow.

Not the actual setting. Use for likeness purposes only.

Who is Interpol and What is the "Identify Me" Campaign?

Interpol, or the International Criminal Police Organization, is a global powerhouse founded in 1923. Based in Lyon, France, it unites 195 member countries to tackle cross-border crime.

Its "Identify Me" campaign, launched in 2023, focuses on over 40 unidentified women found dead in Europe. By tapping public appeals and forensic archives, it’s cracking cold cases like this one.

Down and Out in the Canadian Rockies

A BLEAK GLIMPSE INTO RESORT TOWN LIFE FROM A WORKER'S PERSPECTIVE

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Available on Amazon for Kindle or as a physical copy

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Why Fingerprints Still Matter

This breakthrough hinged on fingerprints, not DNA—a nod to the enduring power of traditional forensics. Spanish authorities supplied prints that Paraguay matched to their records.

Since the late 19th century, fingerprints have been a cornerstone of police work. This case proves they’re still vital when DNA isn’t an option.

Historical Echoes and Similar Cold Cases

I searched for "woman in the chicken coop" predating this news. No digital hits emerged—perhaps it was a local or Spanish nickname lost to my English keywords.

It echoes other Jane Doe monikers, like Saskatoon’s "The Lady in the Well" (murdered in 2006, dead since the 1920s—see my clue!). Interpol’s campaign also names victims by circumstance: "the woman with the flower tattoo" or "the woman in the canal."

What's Next?

This solved cold case is a win for Interpol’s "Identify Me" effort, but many mysteries remain. What do you think—could old-school forensics crack more cases? Share your thoughts below!

Unidentified Female Found May 1950 in Bath (Berkeley Springs), WV - NamUs #UP10026 Case Details

Unidentified Person / NamUs #UP10026

Female, White / Caucasian: Jane Doe
Date Body Found: May 10th, 1950 (Wednesday)

Location Found: Bath (Berkeley Springs), West Virginia. According to early journalism, she was found "along a little used road near the bridge which crosses the Potomac River of Hancock." She was found next to a ditch about 30 yards from the bridge. I think the Google Maps coordinates would be about 39.69214444454965, -78.1844344136343, River Road would have been a "little used road" back then, I think. 

She is barely across state lines between West Virginia and Maryland. That could mean whoever dumped her body did so in a way to try and get the wrong authorities to investigate.

May 12th, 1950. Beckley Post-Herald

County: Morgan County
Who found the body: Benjamin Miller of Hancock (his name is a good keyword to search to find early journalism)

Estimated Age Range: 35-50 Years
Birthdate Estimate: The person’s birthdate would fall between May 11th, 1900, and May 10th, 1915, based on the estimated age range and the date of death.

This individual was found nude according to reports. Clothing must have been added for the photo.

Demographics

Biological Sex: Female
Race / Ethnicity: White / Caucasian

Estimated Year of Death: 1950
Estimated PMI: 48 Hours
Date of Death: Situation would suggest she died on May 8th, 1950. Early journalism suggested a bit longer time frame as an investigator said they weren't sure within five days how long she has been at her found location.

Height: 5' 5" (65 inches), Estimated
Weight: 130 lbs, Estimated
BMI: 21.6, meaning she would have looked average to slender

Circumstances

Date Body Found: May 10, 1950
NamUs Case Created: March 20, 2012

Circumstances of Recovery: Body was discovered by an individual while mushroom hunting along U.S. Route 522.

Physical Description

Hair Color: Red/Auburn
Head Hair Description: Curly, recent perm
Teeth: Natural teeth

Distinctive Physical Features

Scar/Mark: Y-shaped scar on outside right wrist approx. 3" long. W-shaped scar in center of forehead. 2 surgical scars—one a 10" hysterectomy scar and one a 4" appendectomy scar.
Other Characteristics: Freckles on back of hands and lower arms. Hands very small, shoe size 4 1/2 narrow.

Research

By: Shane Lambert

NamUS UP10026 is an old and cold case in the United States. It has drawn a fair amount of online attention with one Alice Kelly suggested as a potential match. 

Journalism for this case started the day after she was found. On May 11th, 1950, The Beckley Post-Herald headlined "Nude Body of Woman Found Near Highway."  Despite the nudity, it was thought that she had not been raped.

At the time of her discovery, it was originally thought that she was younger than what is now thought. A mushroom picker named Benjamin Miller found the body.

Journalism from the very next day estimated her to be 35 years old. A second piece of journalism said she did not have any ring marks on her fingers.

Her remains were found near a "lover's lane," a term meant to describe parking spots where people often go for intimacy. There have been numerous murders in lover's lanes in American history. But her proximity to the locale could also easily be a red herring.

This woman's body was displayed for viewing, and it seemed anyone from the public could have a look at her. In one instance of the early journalism, it was stated that she must not have been from around the area because so many locals had a look at her remains that she would surely have been identified. It was therefore thought that she was driven to the location where she was found as a body dump.

May 11th, 1950/Hinton Daily News

The cause of death in the early journalism was strangulation and a broken neck. Her neck was "seared by rope marks" according to the source immediately above. When I read the description of her neck, it sounded like someone murdered her by hanging her. However, the term "garrote" was used 

In journalism that followed a short time later, the case was described as the "Berkeley Springs Murder." They were not sure, "within five days," how long the woman had been at the location she was found (May 19th, 1950/Berkley Post-Herald).

In cases like these where a body is displayed for public viewing, a lot of 'tips' come in. They all have to be taken lightly, in my opinion. One man said she was a hitchhiker. Another man said he found a woman's dress some 38 miles away. There were some other murders in the area that involved strangulation of women.

Alice Kelly Theory

One popular theory with this case online is that she might be a missing person, Alice Kelly. She was from New York, which would actually align with this case in a way. The decadent was thought to be from far away based on the fact that scores of locals saw her body and none could name her.

I will note that the Jane Doe had red hair while Kelly had brown hair. Furthermore, the Jane Doe's hair was described as naturally red, instead of dyed. She was examined in relation to a missing woman who had red hair but was ruled out because the missing woman had dyed her hair. Furthermore, I found a source that called the Jane Doe's hair "flaming" red. That would suggest that it would not be confused with brown hair if they a mixed or kind-of in-between red and brown color.

Other aspects of the two people, Alice Kelly and the Jane Doe, do, in fact, match up. Hair color can be misdescribed. Furthermore, the journalist's description of "flaming" red hair might be an attempt to be overly descriptive with writing that emphasizes imagery over fact.

The Jane Doe's Scars

Scar Description	Likely Origin	Definition in Layman Terms	Source
Y-shaped on right wrist	Surgical (e.g., complex wrist repair, vascular access)	A mark shaped like a "Y" from a surgery on the wrist, possibly to fix tendons, ligaments, or blood vessels	Many sources. Seemed to be veneral medical knowledge.
W-shaped on forehead	Surgical (W-plasty for cosmetic scar revision)	A mark shaped like a "W" from a surgery to make an old scar on the forehead less noticeable, typically done for cosmetic reasons	W-plasty in Scar Revision
Hysterectomy scar	Surgical (removal of the uterus)	A line from an operation to remove the uterus, usually seen as a horizontal mark on the lower belly	Cleveland Clinic, but seemed like common knowledge in the medical community
Appendectomy scar	Surgical (removal of the appendix)	A small mark from an operation to remove the appendix, usually on the lower right side of the belly, sometimes just tiny dots if done with a camera	Cleveland Clinic - Appendectomy

Unidentified Woman 1979 Vista CA: Who Was HHW? Or is it Maria? - NamUs #UP99440

Unidentified Person / NamUs #UP99440

Female, Hispanic / Latino
Date Body Found: May 17, 1979
Location Found: Vista, Californi
Estimated Age Range: 35-45 Years
Birthdate estimate: The person’s birthdate would fall between May 18th, 1933, and May 17th, 1944 based on the date range and the date of death.

Demographics

Biological Sex: Female
Race / Ethnicity: Hispanic / Latino
Possible First Name: Maria

Estimated Age Group: Adult - Pre 50
Estimated Age Range (Years): 35-45
Estimated Year of Death: 1979

Height: 5' 1" (61 inches), Measured
Weight: 123 lbs, Measured
BMI: 23.2, meaning she would have looked petite to average

Circumstances

Date Body Found: May 17, 1979
NamUs Case Created: January 22, 2023
Location: Vista, California 92084
County: San Diego County

Circumstances of Recovery: The decedent had been a passenger in a 1969 Ford station wagon travelling westbound on Gopher Canyon Rd., when at .4 miles west of Interstate Route 15 in Vista, the driver of the vehicle apparently lost control, ran off the north side of the road, and overturned down an embankment. The decedent had been ejected from the vehicle and was found approx. 50 feet from the vehicle.

Approximate Location of the Crash: 33.251798502226556, -117.21709638283122

Physical Description

Hair Color: Black
Left Eye Color: Brown
Right Eye Color: Brown

Clothing and Accessories

Item: Jewelry

Description: There was a white-metal ring (band) on the third finger of the right hand. A yellow-metal ring (band) with star-like engraving around the outside of the ring and initials HHW, engraved inside the ring.

Commentary, By Shane Lambert

I had a look at this Jane Doe for a little while tonight. My focus was on the initials HHW and a missing persons report anywhere that matched those initials in respect to the dates. 

One thing that stood out to me is that NamUs said that the Jane Doe's name might be Maria. However, that would not match HHW, the initials on the ring. However, there is a chance that the initials belonged to her husband. As soon as you start dealing with situations like that, the volume or search terms to use in various databases start getting immense.

Complicating the matter, I also considered the chance that the initials were read upside down. In that case, they would become MHH. Interesting enough, the M would match Maria in that case but then this is a speculative tangent.

I used quite a lot of search terms on the Jane Doe, using the clues in her file. None of them turned up a thing. Furthermore, I did not find a report of a car accident on Gopher Canyon Road on the date in question. This means that this car accident was not reported on or the report has been not been digitized yet. Feel free to look for the news regarding this accident or for missing people matching the recommended initials. Digital records do get updated constantly.

Reba Dawn McCoy (Attempt to Match) -- Missing Since March 28th, 1999 (Sunday)

Missing Person: Reba Dawn McCoy

Details from a government source (might be paraphrased): Family last saw Reba in March 1999 in Columbus, Ohio. She had a possible destination for travel, being New York (note: presumptively NYC as opposed to New York state).

Last contact: March 28th, 1999 (Sunday)

Last location: Columbus, Ohio (one source said the Southfield area of Ohio)

Age when Reba Dawn McCoy disappeared: 32

Sex: Female

Height in inches: 62 (which is 5'2")

Weight in pounds (lbs): 110

Ethnicity: White/Caucasian

Hair color: Brown, long

Eye Color: Green

Scar or distinctive characteristic: Tattoo on upper left arm (in the picture, it looks like the tattoo is of a word that starts with a "D" and maybe "Da".

Link to Government Source: MP137310 (right click to open)

Websleuths discussion page: Reba Dawn McCoy (right click to open)

BMI means body mass index. It is meant to describe someone's healthy body weight relative to the individual's height. It is only food for thought because it does not account for all body types. Reba Dawn McCoy had a BMI of 20.12. She was at a healthy weight by BMI standards at the time of her disappearance.

Commentary and Research

By: Shane Lambert

Original time of writing: January 28th, 2025

Has Reba Dawn McCoy been found?

I started to research the missing person case of Reba Dawn McCoy tonight. I was disappointed to find that there were not many details available on her case.

This missing person did use some aliases. In cases like this, it can be hard to find information. However, I did locate her picture associated with a Facebook page under the name Reba Williams McCoy. Her NamUs page also has "Reba Barry" and "Rebbie" as potential aliases.

It was my understanding that someone who knew and cared about Reba created the Facebook profile for her. It only featured old photos.

I had a lot of questions in this case. Mainly, I wondered why anyone thought that she was going to New York. Then, I wondered what her method of transportation was. Was she known to be a hitchhiker? I did find someone online who identified as the MP's daughter.

In place of being able to find any solid information online, I contacted some people on her Facebook profile. Furthermore, I decided to look at the Jane Does in NamUs for some potential matches.

Reba Dawn McCoy - Attempt to Match to Unidentified Jane Does

Based on the limited information there is concerning this missing person, she could be the following Jane Does:

• NamUs #UP6054
  

• NamUs #UP6124

Reba McCoy vs #UP6054

NamUs #UP6054 is a white-female Jane Doe who was found dead in Brooklyn, New York on a shoreline. She was estimated to be 100 lbs and 5'5" tall, which is in the ballpark of Reba Dawn McCoy. Furthermore, the Jane Doe had long brown hair. Lastly, the Jane Doe was found in Brooklyn, which is in the New York City area, the area that Reba was thought to be traveling to.

This Jane Doe was found on June 17th, 2000, a year and three months after Reba was last seen. The Jane Doe was thought to have died in the year 2000. Furthermore, she was given a broad age range of 18-35 years old. Reba was 32 years old when she went missing and would have been at the upper end of the age range on June 17th, 2000.

The Jane Doe had a size 32B bra size, which is not busty. I don't know if that is a match to Reba, but only going by her circulated photos, she didn't seem voluptuous.

In summary, the date of death, the sex and race, the location in New York, the close height and weight estimates, the hair color, and the figure between Reba and Jane Doe #UP6054 do reasonably match up.

Reba McCoy vs #UP6124: Comparisons Summarized in a Table

Here’s a table comparing Reba Dawn McCoy to NamUs #UP6124:

Attribute	Reba Dawn McCoy	NamUs #UP6124	Comparison Notes
Sex	Female	Female	Match
Ethnicity/Race	White/Caucasian	White	Match
Height	5'2" (62 inches)	5'3" (63 inches)	Very close (1-inch difference)
Weight	110 lbs	125 lbs	Close (15-lb difference)
Hair Color	Brown, long	Straight brown	Match (both brown; length unspecified for #UP6124)
Eye Color	Green	Not specified	No data to compare
Age	32 (at disappearance, 1999)	Estimated 25-35 (in 1999)	Match (32 falls within range)
Last Seen/Found Date	March 28, 1999	Found May 8, 1999	5-6 weeks apart; plausible timeline
Location	Columbus, Ohio (last seen)	New York, NY (found)	Reba possibly headed to NY; aligns
Distinctive Marks	Tattoo on upper left arm ("D" or "Da")	Not specified	No tattoo info for #UP6124; inconclusive
Date of Death	Unknown (disappeared 1999)	Estimated 1999	Consistent with disappearance year

Observations:

• Strengths: Sex, race, hair color, age range, and New York connection align well. The height and weight are close, and the timeline (5-6 weeks) is plausible for a match.
• Weaknesses: Lack of eye color or tattoo details for #UP6124 limits certainty. The 15-lb weight difference could be due to estimation or post-mortem changes.
• Conclusion: The similarities suggest a reasonable possibility of a match, but without forensic confirmation (e.g., DNA or tattoo verification), it remains speculative.

#UP6124 is the most likely match, in my opinion, of all the unidentified Jane Does in NamUs, due to the timeline and physical similarities. AI (X's Grok) suggests a 50% chance that Reba is UP6124. I don't consider this to be forensic evidence, but I do see it as validation that we humans are not simply seeing something we want to see. The percentage chance will go up or down based on new information and should only be treated with caution, critical thinking, and skepticism.

Please advise if more details become available in the chat comments regarding either Reba or the Jane Doe.

NamUs #UP7139 - Jane Doe Found near Palm Desert, California (February 1980)

By: Shane Lambert

NamUs #UP7139 is a Jane Doe whose body was found in Palm Desert, California on February 16th, 1980 (Saturday). This Jane Doe case stood out to me because there is a decent post-mortem photo of her face associated with her NamUs profile. That should make this case solvable so long as enough people review the material associated with this Jane Doe case. From my research, this person appeared to be the victim of a flood.

Body found: Feb. 16th, 1980 at about 11 AM (Saturday)

Who found the body?: "a group of Canadian tourists" (San Bernardino County Sun/Feb 19th, 1980/A-3)

Location: Six miles south of Palm Desert, California; found in a gully, a landform created by running water, near highway 74.

Sex: Female

Race/ethnicity: White/Caucasian

Age: 25-30

How long had she been dead? (ie. PMI): 1 day

Estimated Date of Death: Would be February 15th, 1980

Height: 64"

Weight: 120 lbs

According to NamUs (paraphrased): This body was found at the bottom of a ravine about 35 feet down from a winding mountain roadway. She was fully dressed with no identification.

Hair: Short, light brown, 3-4 inches, presumably as pictured

Eyes: Hazel

Scars: "She has a well healed 5" scar on her right forearm and a 1" well healed scar on her upper right arm."

Physical characteristics: "She appeared well groomed with manicured fingernails, a recent haircut and nice clothing."

Clothing: Long sleeve tan colored velour blouse; Royal blue pants (no sizes noted); She had on tan sandals with no socks.

I could only find one Jane Doe case for Riverside County in California for a female's body that was found around February 16th, 1980. There was an article in the February 19th, 1980 edition of the San Bernardino County Sun that listed a woman who was found deceased in a gully near Palm Desert.

Presumptively, the article spoke of the Jane Doe known as #UP7139. The news report and NamUs both described an unidentified woman found in a ravine or gully, which are similar formations. She was listed amid numerous news stories associated with a flood in the area that had occurred around that time. The snipped paragraph from the newspaper likely describes this Jane Doe.

I found a news story of a nurse who had gone missing in the same flood. Her name was Inez Evans but she was described as a 44-year old, which would be well outside the estimated age of the Jane Doe. Evans' car was found but she was not found in the days after the flood. Whether she remains missing or not wasn't something I could ascertain. The clothing on the Jane Doe did not match the expected clothing for a woman commuting to a nursing job in addition to the mismatched age.

This case reminded me of cases where a pedestrian gets hit by a vehicle and dies -- without any identification on them. This Jane Doe did not get hit by a car but likely got washed away in a powerful flood -- without any identification on her.

That a group of Canadian tourists found her body suggests to me that she might have been doing something as a tourist herself. That would explain why no one local has found her. I would think that she would have been identified if she was a local to the area, because of the high-quality post-mortem photo. 

Unidentified Woman UP116037: Found in Palm Bay, January 1985, Could She Be Sandra Faye Thompson?

By: Shane Lambert

Time of original writing: January 10th, 2025

UP116037 is an unidentified Jane Doe whose body was found on January 17th, 1985 in Palm Bay, Florida. The details, as per her NamUs profile at the time of writing, were as follows:

• "Remains found wrapped in a blanket in a remote area of Palm Bay, FL."
• GPS opened to "28°02'04.1"N 80°35'19.2"W" (likely in the area of where she was found)
• Partial skeletal remains
• Female
• White/Caucasian
• Adult pre-30
• 24-28 years old
• Thought to have died in 1984
• Thought to have been dead for six months when discovered
• 62-64 inches tall (5'2" to 5'4") (estimated)
• 95-105 pounds (estimated)
• Clothing: bathrobe/housecoat found near the body

Looking at the details above, it's the clothing that stands out. What does it mean for someone to be found dead with, presumably, her bathrobe/housecoat nearby? For me, that's someone who was abducted from her home by an intruder or someone who was killed by someone she lived with. 

The fact that only partial skeletal remains were found is significant, in my opinion.

I did find some journalism on this Jane Doe. It said she may have been decapitated. 

This is important when it comes to the height of the individual. I would think it would be harder to estimate the height of a Jane Doe who had been decapitated, even if you had all the body parts. If you are working on this case, I think you should use a broad estimate for a height range.

Back in the first half of the 1980s, we were in the time frame before DNA became a powerful tool for identification. Back then, dental records were one of the ways to identify a Jane Doe. A Doe who was decapitated may have been altered in that way to separate her dentals from her body and thereby inhibit identification in a time where DNA wasn't yet fully developed. However, I found that this was probably not the case with this Jane Doe, a point I will return to.

March 7th, 1985. Florida Today.

The original journalism at about the time of discovery estimated her age to be between 30-47 years old. That is in counter to the current information at NamUs. Furthermore, I found an article that said that the body was found "four miles west of Interstate 95 and one mile south of Malabar Road" (January 22nd, 1985/Florida Today). A street named "Savery Street" was associated with the discovery location. On modern maps of the area, I could find only "Savery Road."

This woman's remains were thought to be related to two other discoveries in the area at about the same time. I clipped the entire article below, which was published on March 7th, 1985 in Florida Today (page 1B).

The remains appeared to have been interfered with by a dog. Furthermore, the woman who owned this dog discarded the skull for some reason. That would suggest that the murderer of this woman did not separate the skull from the body but rather this dog did.

Other details:

• The bones were found by a couple who were interested in real estate in the area.
• The bones were originally thought to belong to an elderly man.
• The bones were described as "scattered across the vacant lot" in one article (Jan. 19/1985 Florida Today; Page 21).
• Foul play seemed to be suspected from the start.
• The remains were found near some trees and bushes, which suggests to me that someone was trying to hide them to some extent.
• Several cigarette butts were found on the street in front of the body's location.
• A Websleuths.com member (username SimsGuy67) has suggested Sandra Thompson as a candidate for a rule out. At first glance, I could see how some details added up.

UP134470: Human Remains Found on October 13th, 1973 in New York

By: Shane Lambert
Original time of writing: January 8th, 2025

UP134470 is a Jane Doe whose body was found in New York State on October 13th, 1973. According to the early journalism after the discovery of the body, a fisherman found her. I worked on this mystery for a while tonight. First, here are the details according to her NamUs file:

• Estimated age: 20-40
• Sex: Female
• Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
• Height: 61"
• Weight: 109 lbs
• Location: Suffolk County, New York in the Long Island Sound, 4 miles north of Eaton's Neck near buoy 24c, 2 miles off the coast of Connecticut
• Body Found: October 13th, 1973 (Saturday) at about 9AM
• Hair: Black
• Eyes: Brown
• Clothes: As snipped below; one source said she had a wedding ring and a watch on
• Estimated date of death: thought to be dead only a short time, according to early journalism, maybe 2-4 days

The woman in the trunk was wrapped in chains and weighed down by an anchor, according to journalism from the day after she was found (Newsday/Nassau Edition/October 14th, 1973/Bill Mason, John MacDonald, and Tom Incantalupo). She had been "garrotted," according to the same source, as a strangulation method.

The initials on the clothing are interesting. Firstly, they could simply be the victim's initials. Some have suggested Hazel Alice Cross as being a candidate for this Jane Doe. She is a name to be aware of in relation to this case. However, there is a great distance to account for. Also, Hazel went missing in May 1973 and the Jane Doe was thought to have died in October 1973.

Personally, I do not think this Jane Doe is Hazel Cross. If she was went missing in May 1973 via abduction, then it's hard to explain how she lived five months after the abduction and was then murdered in underwear and clothing with her initials on it. I think someone murdered wearing clothing that they wrote their initials on would be someone who was summarily killed after being abducted.