Pepper Reed Missing: Could UP4389 Be the Match?

By: Shane Lambert
Original Publication Date: September 29th, 2025 (Monday)

Pepper Reed Case Summary (NamUs #MP150118)

With Pepper Reed’s case, what is hard to overlook is that she was deeply intertwined with Terry Rasmussen in the stages of her life leading up to her disappearance event. He is a man whose criminal legacy has recently captivated true crime audiences.

In December 1975, when Pepper Reed was last seen in Houston, Texas, she was three months pregnant with Rasmussen’s child. This child, later named Rea Rasmussen, was born on June 15, 1976, in Anaheim, California, entailing that Pepper remained alive at least until then despite the official last contact date being late in 1975. Her association with Rasmussen, who later became a suspected serial killer, adds a layer of tragedy to her disappearance.

Terry Rasmussen’s crimes have been spotlighted in recent years, notably in the 2025 Oxygen series *Unknown Serial Killers of America* (Season 1, Episode 4), which detailed his role in the Bear Brook murders and other killings across decades. The episode, aired in June 2025, explores how he used aliases like Bob Evans and Gordon Jenson to evade detection. His conviction for a 2003 California murder and suspected involvement in multiple unsolved cases have kept his story relevant, with calls for tips on missing women like Pepper still active.

Category	Details
NamUs Case Number	MP150118
Legal Name	Pepper Reed
Biological Sex	Female
Race/Ethnicity	White / Caucasian
Missing Age	23 Years
Current Age	73 Years
Height	5'2" - 5'4" (62-64 Inches)
Weight	115-130 lbs, but was pregnant in the time period close to her disappearance event
BMI	20.2 - 23.0 (based on height 5'2"-5'4" and weight 115-130 lbs) (pregnancy should be noted)
Hair Color	Brown
Eye Color	Brown (Both)
Date of Last Contact	December 18, 1975 is stated at NamUs, but Pepper Reed did give birth to a child in June 1976 in Anaheim. This suggests that she was likely seen there, perhaps even in a hospital.
Last Known Location	Anaheim, Orange County, California
Circumstances	Last seen in Houston, Texas, with boyfriend Terry Rasmussen between December 12-18, 1975, while three months pregnant. Moved to Anaheim, where daughter Rea was born on June 15, 1976. Rea was found deceased in Bear Brook State Park, New Hampshire, in 2000, identified in 2025. Terry Rasmussen, convicted of murder, is suspected in Pepper's disappearance and the Bear Brook Murders.

Attempt to Match: Pepper Reed and UP4389 (Jane Doe)

UP4389 stands out as a compelling match for Pepper Reed. The Jane Doe was found as only skeletal remains, discovered in a Valencia wash off I-5 on January 26th, 1980. Skeletal remains and being found in wash suggest a delayed find, which could include a potential 1976 homicide.  Decomposition and exposure could easily account for the three-year gap, especially if someone disposed of her hastily after Rea's birth and then fled. 

The estimated age range of 17-24 aligns closely with Pepper’s 23 at disappearance, while the White/Caucasian race matches perfectly, and the height/weight (5'5"-5'9", 115-130 lbs) is a strong fit—Pepper’s 5'2"-5'4" is a minor variance, but skeletal measurements can fluctuate by 2-4 inches without complete remains, and the weight range is spot-on (both are 115-130 estimates).

 

21 Missing Women Cases From NamUs Highlighted for September 2025: Cases, Chart, and Call for Action

Missing Women Reported to NamUs in September 2025: A Call for Awareness

By: Shane Lambert
Original publication date: September 29th, 2025

Overview of Missing Women Cases in NamUs

In September 2025, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) added numerous cases of women and girls missing in the United States. In the chart below, I include those that are now missing for at least one year.

These cases, spanning various ages, ethnicities, and regions, underscore the need for public awareness and cooperation with law enforcement to help locate these individuals. The data, extracted from NamUs, provides a snapshot of the diverse circumstances surrounding the disappearances, from teenagers to elderly women, across urban and rural settings.

Detailed Chart of Missing Women

The following chart summarizes the 21 missing women and girls added to NamUs in September 2025 that are missing for at least one year. I focus on that to ensure that the case is a credible missing person case, noting that a lot of newly missing people do not stay missing for long. The chart below is organized by oldest case, in terms of Date of Last Contact.

Name	Age at Disappearance	Last Known Location	State	Biological Sex	Race/Ethnicity	Date of Last Contact	NamUs Case Created
Pepper Reed	23	Anaheim, Orange	CA	Female	White / Caucasian	12/18/1975	09/12/2025
Christine Longino	31	Sandy Springs, Fulton	GA	Female	White / Caucasian	10/14/2005	09/29/2025
Angela Freeman	43	Girard, Burke	GA	Female	Black / African American	04/02/2014	09/30/2025
Carol Chavez	60	Pueblo, Pueblo	CO	Female	Hispanic / Latino	03/15/2018	09/17/2025
Sophia De Oliveira-Sim	7	Sunny Isles Beach, Miami-Dade	FL	Female	White / Caucasian	08/26/2019	09/13/2025
Jennifer Kline	43	Eureka, Humboldt	CA	Female	White / Caucasian	07/01/2020	09/25/2025
Toni Shlaes	74	Los Angeles, Los Angeles	CA	Female	White / Caucasian	07/27/2021	09/29/2025
Lucille Cowell	59	Pensacola, Escambia	FL	Female	White / Caucasian	09/04/2021	09/26/2025
Marta Panto-Garcia	16	Spring, Montgomery	TX	Female	Multiple	02/19/2022	09/10/2025
Sebastiana Panto-Garcia	15	Spring, Montgomery	TX	Female	Hispanic / Latino	02/19/2022	09/10/2025
Daniya Botabayeva	14	Sunny Isles Beach, Miami-Dade	FL	Female	White / Caucasian	06/07/2022	09/15/2025
Mariela Bajurto-Mejia	15	Spring, Montgomery	TX	Female	Hispanic / Latino	09/18/2022	09/10/2025
Nicole Clark	32	San Francisco, San Francisco	CA	Female	White / Caucasian	01/01/2023	09/22/2025
Lisa Dalley	32	Mesa, Maricopa	AZ	Female	White / Caucasian	01/10/2023	09/17/2025
Sara Ahern	33	Frederick, Frederick	MD	Female	White / Caucasian	04/11/2023	09/05/2025
Wicheng Deng	21	Bellevue, King	WA	Female	Black / African American	08/07/2023	09/17/2025
Mayra Elias Jimenez	16	Acworth, Cherokee	GA	Female	Hispanic / Latino	08/16/2023	09/11/2025
Shelby Mower	25	Las Vegas, Clark	NV	Female	White / Caucasian	10/19/2023	09/26/2025
Kathy Bradcoski	48	Grand Rapids, Kent	MI	Female	White / Caucasian	04/05/2024	09/11/2025
Maria Pascual	14	Springfield, Robertson	TN	Female	Hispanic / Latino	05/11/2024	09/19/2025
Persha Mcclendon	28	Detroit, Wayne	MI	Female	Black / African American	05/14/2024	09/09/2025

How You Can Help Solve Missing Persons Cases

The cases reflect a wide range of ages, from 7-year-old Sophia De Oliveira-Sim to 74-year-old Toni Shlaes, and span multiple states, with California (4 cases), Florida (3 cases), Texas (3 cases), and Georgia (3 cases) being the most represented. This could reflect activity among those professionally involved with updates as opposed to missing people trends.

The racial and ethnic breakdown includes 11 White/Caucasian, 5 Hispanic/Latino, 3 Black/African American, and 1 Multiple heritage individual, indicating the diverse backgrounds of those reported missing. The dates of last contact range from 1975 to 2024, with some cases lingering unresolved for decades, such as Pepper Reed, missing since 1975. It's this case that I will focus my energy on in an upcoming article.

One simple way you, the reader, can help with these cases is by cross-referencing them against missing persons cases with unidentified Jane Does on the NamUs database. By comparing details such as age, race, and last known location, you may help identify matches that could bring closure to families. This has been done before and will continue to be a part of identification, noting that there are so many missing persons and Jane Does that the queue for professional investigation can be backlogged. Visit NamUs.gov to explore the database and contribute to these efforts.

For individuals who are missing fairly recently, I've found that it's possible to find them on social media. In cases like this, you need to cross reference a lot of details because same-name matches are common.