Murder of Tammy Terrell
Arroyo Grande Jane Doe | |
|---|---|
 2015 reconstruction created by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children | |
| Born | 1955-1966 (approximate) |
| Status | Unidentified for 43 years, 6 months and 29 days |
| Died | October 4, 1980 (aged 14 - 25) |
| Cause of death | Homicide by stabbing |
| Body discovered | October 5, 1980 Henderson, Nevada |
| Resting place | Clark County, Nevada, United States |
| Known for | Unidentified victim of homicide |
| Height | 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m) |
Arroyo Grande Jane Doe, also known as Jane Arroyo Grande Doe, is the name given to an unidentified American murder victim, discovered on October 5, 1980 in Henderson, Nevada. The identity of the subject has never been successfully established.
Discovery
At approximately 9:20 PM, October 5, 1980, an unclothed white female between fourteen and twenty-five (most likely younger than nineteen) was found with blunt trauma to the back of her head (believed to be from a hammer), signs of punches to the face and stab wounds on her head and back, respectively, near Arroyo Grande Boulevard, near the state highway 146, a location where interstate 215 is now located.[1][2][3][4]It had been placed in a "posed" position and was face-down.[5] The body was discovered by two men driving on a dirt road, one of whom was an off-duty police officer.[6] Examiners determined that the blade of the weapon, believed to be an ice pick, that was used to stab the victim was around three inches long.[7] [5]
Her hair, being a natural brown, red or strawberry blond, was shoulder-length and she stood around five feet two inches and weighed 103 to 110 pounds.[8] She still had wisdom teeth as well as a gap visible between two teeth on her upper right set; she also wore earrings and painted her nails silver.[9] The victim also had dental fillings in some of her teeth, showing that she had seen a dentist when she was alive.[7] Her eyes were a hazel-blue (some sources state green) and a presumably amateur tattoo of an "S" was on the inside of her upper right arm.[2][10] She likely died a day before she was discovered.[7][11]
The officer that discovered her body, who was off-duty at the time, donated money for the victim's burial and regularly visits the site with his wife and donates flowers in memory of the victim.[4][12]
Investigation
Investigators made extensive efforts to try to get the body of the young woman identified. The victim's fingerprints and dental records were taken but could not be matched to anyone.[13] Eventually, the victim's DNA profile was developed by the University of North Texas and was entered into national databases, which failed to turn up the identity of the victim.[7] Television shows broadcast the case in hopes to generate leads, none of which led to her identification or apprehension of her killer or killers.[8] Various forensic facial reconstructions were created to provide a likeness of the Jane Doe, which were hoped to generate recognition for those that may have known her in life.[7]
In 2003, her body was exhumed when authorities followed clues to a missing girl from California, who was eventually ruled out by DNA.[14][15][16][17] To date, eleven total missing people have been excluded as potential identities for the victim.[13] The body was exhumed in 2002 and 2009 as well.[3][4]
The former coroner for Clark County during the time the victim's body was found now works with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. He explained that "someone was missing their little girl" and asserted his beliefs that there were individuals that would know who the victim was, citing that he hoped the reconstructions created of the victim would trigger recognition.[10] He also explained that the victim's case was one of the reasons that the local department developed a "cold case unit" for its unsolved cases.[5] The officer that found the body also described similar feelings about the case.[12]
In June 2015, "Arroyo Grande" Jane Doe's case was officially reopened by investigators.[4] On October 5, 2015, the thirty-fifth anniversary of her discovery, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children released two new reconstructions, one frontal view of the face and the other as the profile.[18] The new image replaced a previous version that the organization had created.[10]
References
- ^ Matt, Guillermo (October 5, 2015). "Henderson slaying victim still unidentified 35 years later". Fox 5 Vegas. Fox. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
- ^ a b "Henderson Police Still Trying To ID Body". CBS Las Vegas. CBS. October 5, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
- ^ a b Goldblatt, Rochel Leah (November 28, 2013). "Resolving cold cases important to Clark County coroner". Las Vegas Review-Journal. GateHouse Media. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
- ^ a b c d Gonzalez, Vicki (May 13, 2015). "Jane 'Arroyo Grande' Doe cold case open 35 years later". 3 News NBC. NBC. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
- ^ a b c Template:Postmortem Gonzolez, Vicki (August 16, 2015). "Jane "Arroyo Grande" Doe". NBC 3 News. NBC. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
- ^ Friess, Steve (January 25, 2004). "To identify 'John Doe' victims, investigators turn to the Web". Boston Globe. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e "Case File: 258UFNV". The Doe Network. 2011. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
- ^ a b Torres, Ricardo (October 5, 2015). "Henderson police release drawing from 35-year-old Jane Doe case". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
- ^ Template:Postmortem "Clark County Case Number: #80-1221". Clark County Police Department. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
- ^ a b c "DID YOU KNOW ME?". YouTube. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children]]. October 5, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
- ^ "Jane Doe 1980". missingkids.org. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
- ^ a b "Jane 'Arroyo Grande' Doe cold case open 35 years later". 3 News NBC. NBC. May 13, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
- ^ a b Template:Postmortem "NamUs UP # 46". National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. June 30, 2007. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
- ^ Heinecke, Jeanne (August 15, 2007). "Identifying the unknown". officer.com. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
- ^ Friess, Steve (January 2, 2004). "Nevada coroner puts photos of deceased on Internet / Visitors urged to try to help identify Jane and John Does". Houston Chronicle. p. 1. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
- ^ "Jane Arroyo Grande Doe". August 26, 2008. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
- ^ Template:Postmortem "Nevada Unidentified". August 25, 2007. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
- ^ Bleakley, Caroline (October 5, 2015). "Police release image of Jane Doe found in 1980". Las Vegas Now. CBS. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
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