jul 2, 1979 - Sonoma County Jane Doe 1979 UID & HOMICIDE
Description:
July 2, 1979: remains discovered16-21yo; skeletal remains of a young white female were found in a ravine off Calistoga Rd ~100yd from where the body of Lori Lee Kursa had been discovered 7yrs earlier
She had been hogtied, and her arm was fractured around the time of her murder. Her corpse had been stuffed into a laundry or duffel bag before being dumped in the ravine
"at the bottom of a canyon near a body of water"
16-21yo; wore hard contact lenses (kept in a metal candy tin w/ a picture of cherries on it); had red, auburn, or brown hair; ~5'3; no clothing found
one expert said the victim was likely killed btwn 1972-1974 and was ~19yo. Another source says estimated DOD is 1976.
Hard contact lenses were not often sold in the US & Canada after the mid-1970s, when soft contact lenses became available, hence the 1972-1974 estimation date.
On July 12, 2024, I submitted Paula Ann Pope and Sonoma County Jane Doe 1979 as a potential match to Doe Network. That same day, Mary Bell of DN replied, “ Thank you for the suggested match. I don't show any comparison of these having been done so I will have our panel look at it. If [it] is proven to be a positive match, I will contact you further.”
On April 12, 2025, I submitted Pamela Jean Spencer and Sonoma County Jane Doe 1979 as a potential match to the Doe Network. That same day, Mary Bell of DN replied, “Your suggested match has previously been submitted to law enforcement by Doe Network.”
On June 13, 2025, I asked Mary Bell about the status of various matches that I had submitted to the Doe Network. I learned from her response that the possible match of Paula Ann Pope and Sonoma County Jane Doe 1979 has been submitted to law enforcement.
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LAST UPDATED: June 15, 2025
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Added to timeline:
Date:
jul 2, 1979
Now
~ 45 years ago