The Corvette Predator: A Theory of Premeditation in the Disappearance of Robin Ann Graham (1970)

The Corvette Predator: Speculation on the Disappearance of Robin Ann Graham

By: Shane Lambert

On Sunday, November 15th, 1970, 18-year-old Robin Ann Graham vanished from the U.S. Highway 101 southbound lane near the Santa Monica Boulevard off-ramp in Los Angeles, California. She left behind a locked 1969 Chevrolet Nova and a mystery that lingers over five decades later. Below are her case details, followed by a theory on what might have happened to her that night. In this theory, I test whether it makes sense that a 'helpful' stranger might have actually been stalking her.

Case Details: Robin Ann Graham's Disappearance

Category	Details
Missing Person	Robin Ann Graham
Biological Sex	Female
Race / Ethnicity	White / Caucasian
Last Seen Time	November 15th, 1970, between 2 AM and 2:45am (Saturday-night/Sunday-morning)
Missing Age	18 Years
Current Age	72 Years
Height	5'6" (66 Inches)
Weight	125 lbs
Hair Color	Brown
Eye Color	Brown
Last Known Location	U.S. Highway 101 southbound near the Santa Monica Boulevard off-ramp in Los Angeles, California 90029 (Google Maps)
Circumstances	Last seen by a CHP officer on U.S. Highway 101 southbound near the Santa Monica Boulevard off-ramp at about 2:00 a.m. on November 15th, 1970.
Clothing	Red blouse, blue jeans, dark blue corduroy jacket
Footwear	Red clog shoes
Accessories	Leather purse
Transportation	Boyfriend’s car (1969 Chevrolet Nova); she drove it alone.
Source	NamUs Case #MP32285 (NamUs has the November 14th date wrong. She was last seen after midnight that night, in the wee hours of November 15th, 1970).

Recapping Previous Research on This Missing Person

I researched Robin Ann Graham's disappearance several years ago. The blog post was titled "Women With Car Troubles Go Missing." It reviewed several cases of women who went missing after experiencing car troubles. The table below includes some of the cases I covered.

Name	Last Known Location	Last Seen	Age at Disappearance	Car Trouble Details	Case Details
Robin Graham	U.S. Highway 101 near Santa Monica Boulevard offramp, Los Angeles, CA	November 14, 1970, ~2:30 AM	18	Ran out of gas, stalled on highway	Last seen with a man (white male, 25-26, dark or blond hair) near a 1958-1960 light blue Corvette. Car found locked and abandoned. Possible abduction after gas siphoning.
Kathleen Johns	Highway 132 near Interstate 5, Modesto, CA	March 22, 1970	Not specified	Tire problem flagged by a man, tire fell off after "fix"	Man offered help, drove her and her child; possible Zodiac Killer involvement. Escaped harm (implied).
Rose Tashman	Hollywood Freeway at Highland Avenue offramp, Los Angeles, CA	May 18, 1969	Not specified	Flat tire	Disappeared after car breakdown; body found in Hollywood Hills, Mulholland Drive. Unsolved murder.
Cindy Lee Mellin	Buenaventura Shopping Center parking lot, Ventura, CA	January 20, 1970	19	Flat tire being changed by an unidentified male	Last seen with man fixing tire; car found on jack with flat tire still attached. Father found car.

There have not been any major developments with Robin's case since I published that previous article in February 2018. The timeline I've constructed below for her disappearance is based on my research for that article. As always seems to be the case, details will vary between some sources. However, the timeline for Robin's disappearance is pretty tight.

Robin Ann Graham's Approximate Timeline: The Night She Disappeared

On Saturday, November 14th, 1970, 18-year-old Robin Ann Graham’s night began with a typical young-adult blend of work and socializing. She was a Pierce College student and worked part-time at Pier 1 Imports, located at 5711 Hollywood Boulevard.

She likely finished her shift in the late afternoon or early evening. After work, Robin spent the evening with friends in Hollywood, a popular spot for young people in 1970. The exact location of their hangout isn’t documented, to my knowledge, but it was likely a casual venue appropriate for Saturday night upper teens.

Around midnight, a friend dropped Robin off at the Pier 1 Imports parking lot, where Donald Alford’s 1969 Chevrolet Nova was parked. Donald was Robin's boyfriend, and she had borrowed his car, apparently for most of the day. In charge of the Nova, she began her drive home to Lemoyne Street in Sherman Oaks, a 10-15 mile trip via the Hollywood Freeway (aka U.S. Highway 101).

AI's image of a 1969 Chevrolet Nova. I don’t know what color the car was that Robin drove.

At approximately 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 15th, the Nova ran out of gas on the southbound lane of Highway 101 near the Santa Monica Boulevard off-ramp. This ramp was one that she could have used to get to her home on Lemoyne Street. However, I think she could have driven further as well and used a different exit.

For those who want to visit this location online, the area only goes back to September 2008 on Google Maps. That's nearly 38 years after Robin disappeared in November 1970. It stands to reason that it would only give a general sense of the area after all that time.

Stranded, Robin used a freeway call box to phone home. She reached her 14-year-old sister, but their parents, who had gone out that evening, were still out.

Not an actual picture of Robin. Depicts what a highway call box is. These devices were somewhat common. You will still see them in public, but portable devices are so common now that they have become relics.

At about this time, a California Highway Patrol officer spotted Robin near the Nova she was driving. He advised her to wait there, and then the officer left. This is the point in the night when the most suspicious person of the evening entered the picture.

Mr. Corvette: The Suspicious Stranger

AI prompt for a late 1950s Corvette that's light blue with a hardtop with primer. Sometimes the suspect vehicle is described as green.

Sometime between 2:00 and 2:30 a.m., a dark-haired man in his mid-twenties approached Robin in a light blue 1958-1960 Chevrolet Corvette hardtop (the year of the car is debatable). I will call this person Mr. Corvette (a moniker), named after the car he drove. His true identity is unknown.

It seems that Robin was reasonably safe until Mr. Corvette entered the picture. She was without gas at a dangerous time of night in a city where nowhere is perfectly safe. But family had been alerted to her problem, and a patrolman was aware of her as well. Her chances of surviving her car problems seemed quite high.

The face is random and not meant to depict the man's likeness. AI generated based on his clothes, hair, height, and vehicle. He has been described as blonde but most sources say dark haired.

The time frame associated with Mr. Corvette's advance is the last time Robin Ann Graham has been seen. He has been described as a Caucasian male, dark-haired, 5’8”, aged in his mid-20s, and wearing both bell-bottoms and a white turtleneck. This description came from the patrolman on the highway.

When he, the patrolman, came near Robin again, he saw Mr. Corvette talking to Robin. She had previously told the patrolman that she had called for help, and he assumed Mr. Corvette was that help.

Importantly, Mr. Corvette’s car was parked behind Robin’s. This is something I will deem important later.

By 2:45 a.m., Marvin Graham (Robin's father) and a friend arrived. By modern maps, the drive between the Grahams' residence and the location of Robin’s car would have been just under 20 minutes. I think the drive time would have been about the same in 1970. When they arrived, they found the Chevy Nova locked and abandoned.

Robin vanished in the 45-minute window between 2 AM and 2:45 AM. For a narrower window, the time frame between 2:30 AM and 2:45 AM is close to 'ground zero.' Her disappearance, with Mr. Corvette as the last known contact, remains one of LA’s enduring missing person mysteries.

What Robin Might Have Been Thinking After Her Car Stalled

If we look at the disappearance from Robin’s point of view, what information does she have?

She can’t operate the Chevy Nova any longer. She would be looking at a two-hour walk at a dangerous time of night if she leaves on foot. Yes, she has reached home by phone, but she only contacted her 14-year-old sister, who cannot help her directly.

As the minutes pass, Robin has to wonder if her sister has fallen asleep without alerting her parents to the problem. She also has to wonder if the patrolman will be back or if he might have happened on any other event that will consume his time.

When faced with what was presumably a ride offer from Mr. Corvette, Robin likely had to balance the chance that he had criminal intentions against her alternative: sitting roadside for who knows how long. She wasn’t in a great position, but whether that was due to misjudging her gas or Mr. Corvette causing the whole situation is something I will turn to now.

Women With Car Troubles: A Pattern in 1970s California

Women with car troubles went missing or were murdered a lot in the 1970s and earlier in the USA. This is a point often made when looking back at murders and missing women during that time frame. Vehicle sabotage was a known modus operandi among men who targeted women.

A typical scene would go like this: (1) A man would tamper with a woman’s vehicle and disappear. (2) The same man would then arrive on the scene and offer to help. (3) But instead of helping, he would disappear the woman in what came to be known as the Good Samaritan’s Ruse.

With all the vehicle sabotage that happened in conjunction with missing women at that time, the point with Robin Ann Graham's disappearance is that we can ask one pointed question: "Did Mr. Corvette siphon Robin’s gas?" Brushing this question aside would be disregarding all the cases where vehicle sabotage was a known or suspected MO.

Regarding Mr. Corvette, we need to look at a related report. A man matching Mr. Corvette’s description approached another woman in Los Angeles a few weeks later. That woman did not go with him, but she said she was approached after her car ran out of gas.

After Robin Disappeared: Woman #2

Weeks after Robin disappeared, in late November or early December 1970, another woman ran out of gas on an LA freeway. A man driving a Corvette pulled up and offered to help.

The woman felt he was pushy and refused the ‘help.’ She didn’t realize her experience was relevant to another incident until she learned of Robin’s case. This report linked the same description of a man and his car to both incidents.

Not a whole lot is available about this second woman's experience. The cases could involve different people when it comes to the identity of the men involved. But two women, two freeway stalls, one distinctive Corvette, and similar descriptions of a man—it’s hard to call it chance in a fairly narrow time frame.

The theory I want to explore is that Mr. Corvette’s modus operandi was right out of the Good Samaritan’s Ruse. How plausible would it be to siphon the gas from Robin’s car, follow her route, and then arrive where she is out of gas?

It might sound easy, but when I put together this theory, I could see that this would actually be hard. At the end, I felt this was a possibility to be aware of, as opposed to something I had a ton of confidence in.

How the Gas Siphoning Ruse Could Have Worked

From what I gleaned from Robin’s case details, the Chevy Nova that belonged to her boyfriend may have been parked at her workplace for several hours. This creates a large time frame where someone could have siphoned her gas. If the tank were full, it would only take 12-13 minutes to do the job.

However, there’s a problem with gas siphoning as a modus operandi. If you leave the tank bone dry and plan to stalk the female driver, they won’t be leaving the original point because of the empty tank. This could leave the target in the company of her friends.

If you plan to leave them enough gas to drive a little ways, how do you know how much gas to remove? The gas siphoner would need some information on how full the tank was to begin with to leave just the right amount where they stall between Point A and Point B. This is a problem with the theory.

In dealing with this problem, I think a gas siphoner could do this: empty the tank bone dry and then refill half a gallon. That much gas would allow someone to drive 9-10 miles.

From my research, anti-siphoning mechanisms weren’t built into vehicles until the late 1970s models. A 1969 Chevrolet Nova’s 20-gallon tank was easy to siphon. There was no locking cap, so all it would take is a hose and suction. Draining it dry would have taken 12-13 minutes at 1.5 gallons per minute. Adding back in half a gallon means the entire job could be done in fewer than 15 minutes, and it seems the vehicle sat where it was for hours on November 14th, 1970. (sources pending)

If Mr. Corvette drained Robin’s tank to ensure it was empty. He could then add half a gallon back, and he would then know exactly how much gas she had. With this information, he could predict her stall point within a certain range.

He doesn’t actually have to tail her, which could draw attention to himself. However, he would need to know things about Robin, like where she lived and her likely route home. In short, he’d have to be more than a casual stalker—someone with at least a short-term interest in his target.

The act of siphoning gas wouldn’t be that risky. It looks like nothing more than petty theft. No one suspects murder from a gas can.

He could’ve hit the 1969 Chevrolet Nova at Pier 1’s lot that day, monitored the car, then, a short time after it left, he could have cruised the freeway later in pursuit along her route home. At 2:30 a.m., he finds Robin, offers help, and she accepts due to the uncertainties she feels, believing that accepting help from a stranger is a better choice than just sitting roadside at that late hour on a Saturday night. Once she enters his car, she is at his mercy.

Maybe he killed Robin and found it easy. Yet, in some ways, he almost got caught. Her father was minutes away, and the patrolman was watching. Whether he realized that at the time isn't clear.

The experience with the second woman might’ve scared him off. She saw through him, alerted cops, and maybe he then realized his ruse would crumble.

Unfortunately, Woman #2 is anonymous. That she didn’t identify the man suggests he was a stranger to her. If we mirror the two cases, that would mean he was a stranger to Robin as well.

Of course, this is all speculative theory. In cases like this, which are old and ice-cold, all you want is a theory that fits the known facts. I’ve discussed why this theory fits and how it could have played out.

For one finer point, Mr. Corvette’s car was seen parked behind Robin’s. That’s a bit different than parking after her. The former means he had made a decision to stop a little sooner. He didn’t drive past her, pull to the side after seeing her, and then make his offer to help.

That he was behind her suggests he knew he was going to stop as soon as he saw her. If you think about it, that seems to align with someone operating in a premeditated way. 

Countertheory: Mr. Corvette Drives Around Looking for Vulnerable Women

A countertheory that still focuses on Mr. Corvette would hold that he simply drove around looking for vulnerable women. Fuel efficiency in 1970 was nowhere near what it is today, and 24-hour gas stations weren’t too common.

Maybe it was more plausible to drive around back then and hope to happen on a stranded female motorist. However, I don’t believe this. I don’t think there’s anything about a stranded vehicle that says "Attractive 18-year-old female college student" more than "ugly old man."

I guess I’ve shown my cards.

I do think the two sightings of the man I’ve dubbed Mr. Corvette are related. I know that women’s vehicles were often targeted in California in that era. Mr. Corvette could have had a gas-siphoning variant of this MO that could have been done if he simply knew something about his target’s schedule on the target day/night.

But it's this latter point about timing that makes the theory of gas siphoning a bit difficult. If Mr. Corvette siphoned Robin's car, he would then be camping on it for quite a while as she socializes with her friends in Hollywood.

Furthermore, there is a timing to think about it at the point of abduction. If he followed her route after she started to drive, then why did he arrive at the point where she ran out of gas at about 2:30am? She is thought to have stalled at about 2AM. That would mean he trailed her from quite a distance.

Of course, the timing in this case is not exact. If Robin stalled at about 2am, then that could easily mean 2:10am. If the highway patrolman saw her with Mr. Corvette at about 2:30am, then that could mean 2:20am. That would tighten matters but it's presumptive to assume the different times tighten the time frame instead of loosening it.

I would say this is a theory to be aware of, but it's one that I have low confidence in. I do know that readers at my blog read a lot about true crime and unsolved mysteries. If you ever come across a case involving a known gas siphoner who siphoned gas as part of an MO to disappear women, then please share that with me. I didn't find such a case myself.

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.

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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"

Kimberly Jane Britts: Car Found on Highway, Woman Missing Since April 6, 1985

Missing Person: Kimberly Jane Britts

Details from a government source (might be paraphrased): Her unattended vehicle was located on Interstate 64 eastbound ramp at Route 616 in Albemarle County. Signs of red stains in the vehicle and Britts has never been located. Britt was temporarily living at a farm in Goochland County (central coordinates for the county: 37.6806° N, 77.8853° W).

Last contact: April 6th, 1985 (Saturday)
Last location: Charlottesville, Virginia, according to NamUs. If the location of her car is to be taken as her last known location, then it would be at Route 616 and Interstate 64. Route 616 is also known as Black Cat Road on modern Google Maps..
Age when Kimberly Jane Britts disappeared: 21
DOB: Between April 7th, 1963 and April 6th, 1964
Sex: Female
Height in inches: 62
Weight in pounds (lbs): 103
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Hair color: Brown, shoulder length, straight, and combed back
Eye Color: Brown
Scar or distinctive characteristic: Round dime-size circular scar on the middle of the forehead; additional scar
Car: Maroon and red Honda Civic Hatchback with plate FBY426

This is not the actual car. It's an AI generated image based on vehicle descriptions.

Link to Government Source: MP11604 (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. Kimberly Jane Britts had a BMI of 18.84. She was at a healthy weight by BMI standards at the time of her disappearance.

Clothing and Accessories:

At the time of her disappearance on April 6th, 1985, Kimberly Jane Britts was believed to be wearing a pullover shirt, blue jeans, a gold and diamond wedding ring set, and a gold chain necklace. She was also carrying a burgundy Aigner purse featuring a handle and a zipper. According to the reports for her, this purse went missing.

Source: The Charley Project.

Commentary and Research

By: Shane Lambert
Original time of writing: March 10th, 2025

Has Kimberly Jane Britts been found?

At the time of writing, Kimberly Jane Britts was still missing. Furthermore, there is not much online in terms of recent news. The online hits for her are the usual suspects: Charley Project, Facebook posts, Wiki pages, and niche websites.

What stood out with this case is that her car was found, her purse was missing, and there was blood in the car. When last seen, she had said she was leaving for a short time with plans to return. She left in her vehicle but has never been seen again.

Good Samaritan's Ruse: What's Happened to Female Motorists Before

The location of the vehicle is interesting. If it had been found at a mall, store, or airport, then different speculation or conjecture would result. In these scenarios, she's more likely to have been abducted at a place of business or while using the public sidewalk.

But the vehicle was found on the side of the highway and therein lies a bit of a mystery. How do you abduct someone from a moving vehicle?

Abductors in other cases have done it with a ruse. They alert the driver of the vehicle to a false alarm, encourage her to pull over, and then commit their crime at that point.

The scene involving Kathleen Johns in the film Zodiac depicts a Good Samaritan's Ruse. A mysterious man honks at a female motorist, she pulls over believing there's an emergency, he makes a false claim about the state of her vehicle, he then sabotages her vehicle while claiming to help her, and then he offers the woman a ride. When she accepts, she is then in his custody.



I think a lot of times when a missing woman's vehicle is found roadside or especially highwayside, some kind of Good Samaritan's Ruse has played out. There are other scenarios, like the vehicle being ditched there or simply something else happening. But I've covered the ruse at other blog posts on this site, which the reader can review.

Further reading: Women With Car Troubles Go Missing

If your car is operating perfectly fine from your perspective, then don't take the word of a stranger who shows up claiming the opposite. I guess it would only be natural to inspect the vehicle at some point, but I would get to a visible spot.

Kimberly Jane Britts: A Deeper Dive

The Connecticut River Valley Killer (CRVK) stands out as an intriguing figure to Kimberly Jane Britts’ disappearance on April 6th, 1985, due to his confirmed activity during that precise time frame and his habit of targeting women on highways.

This unidentified serial killer, linked to at least seven murders between 1978 and 1988, was active around Britts’ vanishing, with murders of Bernice Courtemanche on May 30, 1984, in Claremont, New Hampshire, and Eva Marie Morse on July 10, 1985, in Charlestown, New Hampshire (New Hampshire DOJ, ongoing updates). These killings, 13 months apart, frame April 1985, suggesting he was operational when Britts vanished (Wikipedia, last updated 2023).

By Murder, She Told - https://www.murdershetold.com/episodes/jane-boroski, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=133649378

Connecticut River Valley Killer: A Highway Predator Linked to Britts?

Primarily known for crimes in New Hampshire and Vermont—400–500 miles north of Virginia—the CRVK’s whereabouts are untracked during gaps between his suspected murders. The stretch between Courtemanche’s disappearance in Claremont and Morse’s in Charlestown leaves his location unknown for 13 months, a window where travel to Virginia isn’t impossible. Serial killers like Ted Bundy roamed widely, and the CRVK’s anonymity means a southern detour in 1985 can’t be ruled out, despite his northern base.

Online, the association between the CRVK and Britts’ case is rare but not absent. While major platforms like Websleuths and Reddit focus heavily on the CRVK’s New England victims, a few users on Reddit’s r/UnresolvedMysteries have speculated about broader connections, including Virginia cases, though Britts’ name isn’t explicitly tied to him often.

The Charley Project and NamUs detail Britts’ disappearance without mentioning the CRVK, and no recent news links them directly. However, the highway context and timing have sparked occasional armchair detective theories, though these lack evidence and remain niche discussions.

His method heightens his relevance: he attacked women on highways, often with brutal stabbings. Courtemanche and Morse were hitchhikers, nabbed along Route 12, but his scope widened. Jane Boroski survived a 1988 stabbing at a rest stop, and Barbara Agnew, a motorist, was killed near a highway on January 10, 1987. Britts’ car, abandoned on I-64 at Route 616, fits this pattern—a lone woman, possibly ambushed.

The red stains in Britts’ vehicle, presumed blood, align with the CRVK’s MO. Courtemanche and Morse were stabbed to death, their remains found near Claremont and Unity, New Hampshire, with frenzied knife attacks. Stabbing fits better than bludgeoning. Though his range is distant, his active period, highway focus, and style—active between May 30, 1984, and July 10, 1985—make him a fascinating candidate in Britts’ unsolved case.