12h 30min, feb 25, 1977 y - Indio Jane Doe 1977 UID & HOMICIDE

Description:

At 12:30pm on Friday, February 25, 1977, a rock collector discovered a badly decomposed body near the Cactus City pumping station/rest stop, and promptly called authorities. While contemporary newspaper articles state that the area of discovery was located about 20 mi east of Indio, Riverside County, CA, modern sources differ: NamUs states that the body was, “found on a dirt frontage road 19 miles east of Indio.” Meanwhile, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s site, the body was found in, “open desert north of [the] I-10 freeway and east of the Cactus City rest stop area, concealed under brush that had been set [on] fire. This area is about 25 miles east of Indio, CA.”

Investigators were initially unable to determine the sex due to the advanced decomposition, though by February 28 — three days after discovery — it was determined that the body was that of a female. All sources differ on the PMI. According to a contemporary newspaper clipping, it was initially thought that Jane Doe had been dead for about three weeks. NamUs lists her estimated PMI as one (1) day. According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Bureau, Jane Doe was killed several days to two weeks prior to being found. Doe Network merges the previous two estimates, giving the PMI as one day to two weeks.

The body was partially concealed with brush and debris when found. Jane Doe’s remains were unrecognizable due to decomposition and burning. She was found nude and partially burnt, specifically about 10% of her body. An autopsy determined that she died from a gunshot wound to the head. Both of her hands had been removed at the wrist with a sharp instrument, leaving a clean incision; her hands were never found. Because of this, her fingerprints are not available for comparison. No other evidence — including clothing, shoes, accessories, jewelry, or personal items — was found at the scene. It is believed that she was not killed where she was found.

Jane Doe was a white and/or Hispanic middle-aged woman. According to the Riverside County Sheriff Coroner’s Bureau, “It is believed this woman was between 40 to 50 years of age,” while Doe Network states that she was 35-50 years old. Her estimated age group on NamUs is “Adult - Pre 50,” and her estimated age range is 35-45 years old.

Jane Doe was 5’4, and was estimated to have weighed 150 -155 lbs. Her eye color could not be determined. She had black hair that was believed to be shoulder-length or possibly longer; the length of her hair was difficult to determine due to the fire. No distinctive scars, tattoos, marks, or traits were observed due to the condition of the remains. She did have extensive dental work, and her dental charts are available on the Riverside County Sheriff Coroner Bureau’s site. Her DNA is not available for comparison.

At one point serial killer Henry Lee Lucas confessed to killing this Jane Doe, with Otis Toole as his accomplice. However, Lucas is known to have made hundreds of false confessions, all of which he recanted, including this one. Furthermore, due to the timeline of events, it is highly unlikely that Lucas would have been able to murder this victim. On pg86 of the pdf for the 1986 Lucas Report, the brief profile of Jane Doe lists her as white and 40 years old, and that her face and pubic area had been chemically burned.

Jane Doe has zero rule-outs on NamUs. Anyone with information should contact Coroner Sergeant Nancy Rissi of the Riverside County Sheriff's Coroner Bureau at 951-443-2300. The agency case number is #38247.

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CONFIRMATION OF COMPLETION DATE: May 31, 2025
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LUNAR PHASE:
ZODIAC SIGN:
DAY OF WEEK: Friday

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