TRUE CRIME REPORT

Case Update- The Unidentified Middle Child

On March 23, 2023, I published a post about the case of the Unidentified Middle Child, one of four victims of the Bear Brook Murders. While the other 3 victims were identified in 2019 as 24 year old Marlyse Honeychurch and her daughter’s 7 year old Marie Vaughn and 11 month old Sarah McWaters, the second child remained unidentified until September 2025. The once unidentified middle child has been identified as 3 year old Rea Rasmussen, who was also the biological daughter of the perpetrator Terry Rasmussen.

On November 10, 1985, a hunter found a 55-gallon drum near an old burned down building in at Bear Brooke State Park in Allenstown, New Hampshire. Inside of the drum were 2 decomposing bodies wrapped in plastic. Autopsy revealed that the bodies were that of a young woman and child. The woman was thought to be between 23-33 and the child was thought to be between 8-10; both victims died by blunt force trauma.

Nearly 15 years later, on May 9, 2000, another drum was found near the original discovery site. Inside the second drum were 2 more decaying bodies. The next autopsy determined that the remains were that of a young girl between the ages of 2-4 and an infant female child; their causes of death were also blunt force trauma. Despite the second drum being found years later, investigators determined that the murders occurred at the same time. The reason that the second drum wasn’t found sooner was because it was outside the proximity of the first drum.

In June 2013, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children released updated versions of facial reconstructions of the 4 victims. Another updated version of the facial reconstructions were again released in November 2015. In 2014, DNA testing revealed that the oldest victim, second victim, and youngest victim were all maternally related. In 2015, it was found that the oldest victim was the mother of the 2 girls, and they were primarily from the NorthEastern United States.

The middle child was not related to the other victims, but it was found that she was primarily from the NorthEast or Upper Midwest United States. However, further testing in 2019 revealed that the child could also possibly be from Arizona, Texas, California, or Oregon.

In 2017, a break in the case came when Denise Beaudin was connected to the murders. Denise Beaudin was a woman from Manchester, New Hampshire, who went missing along with her daughter in 1981 after leaving with her boyfriend Bob Evans. Denise eventually went missing and Bob Evans later abandoned the young girl nicknamed “Lisa” at a campsite, and she never saw Bob or her mother again. Beaudin was not reported missing until 2016 when her daughter resurfaced in 2016 and was found to be alive and well living in California. Beaudin, however, remains missing.

Investigators soon found that Bob Evans’s real identity was Terry Peder Rasmussen, and he was the father of the Unidentified Middle Child of the Bear Brook Murders. Authorities then believed that Rasmussen was responsible for the Bear Brook Murders. Unfortunately, Terry Rasmussen died in prison in December 2010 after being convicted of the 2002 murder and dismemberment of his wife Eunsoon Jun, a chemist from California.

Further investigation found that Terry Rasmussen was born in 1943 in Denver, Colorado. He got married in 1979 and had 4 children. His wife left him in 1973, and his family last saw him in 1974. DNA samples provided by one of his sons confirmed his identity in June 2017. It was found that Rasmussen used up to 5, and possibly more, false identifies, leading him to be known as the Chameleon Killer.

In 1999, a young man created a post on Ancestry.com in hopes to find his half sister whom he shared a father with but never met. It was stated that the girl was born in Hawaiian Gardens, California. Nothing came of this post at first.

Nearly 20 years later, on June 6, 2019, New Hampshire investigators announced the identities of the young woman and her 2 children. It was revealed that the woman was 24 year old Marlyse Honeychurch, and her daughters 7 year old Marie Vaughn and 11 month old Sarah McWaters. They were last seen around Thanksgiving in 1978 in La Puente, California.

Marlyse left her home after having an argument with her mother and never contacted her relatives again. She was dating Terry Rasmussen at this time and was believed to have used the alias Elizabeth Evans at some point while with him. It was found that it was Sarah’s younger half brother who made the Ancestry post in hopes to find her. At some point in their lives, both Marie and Sarah’s fathers had custody of them, but eventually Marlyse regained custody of them sometime before their deaths. Marlyse and her daughters were all laid to rest in funeral services sometime in 2019.

The Middle Child’s identity remained the most mysterious of all the identifications in this case. Although DNA testing linked her as the daughter of Terry Rasmussen, as well as the possible locations she grew up in, difficulties with identifying the child’s mother put a big halt on the investigation.

On September 5, 2025, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s office announced that with the assistance of DNA Doe Project, they have identified the middle child as Rea Rasmussen. Rea Rasmussen was born in Orange County, California on June 15, 1976 to Terry Rasmussen and 24 year old Pepper Reed. Genealogical researchers created a family tree dating as far back as the 1700s to track down Reed’s ancestry. Once they were able narrow down identities and determine Reed’s name, they were able to quickly find Rea Rasmussen’s birth records.

According to authorities, Pepper Reed, whom was originally from Texas, has not been seen since the late 1970s. She was last seen by her family in Texas around Christmas-time in 1975 while pregnant with Rea. While the investigation into Reed’s disappearance remains active, authorities believe she is likely another victim of Rasmussen.

Authorizes are continuing to look into Terry Rasmussen’s activities between 1974 and 1985, particularly in New Hampshire, California, Arizona, Texas, Oregon, and Virginia.

Terry Rasmussen is possibly one of the most mysterious and prolific serial killers to have existed. It seems that more layers of his crimes continue to be brought to light as each of his crimes are solved. Thanks to genetic testing, another innocent victim has their name back.

Sources-

https://www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2025-09-07/bear-brook-murders-new-hampshire-cold-case-middle-child-mystery-terry-rasmussen-victim-identified

https://dnadoeproject.org/case/bear-brook-jane-doe-2000/

https://www.doj.nh.gov/news-and-media/identification-final-unidentified-victim-allenstown-nh-homicide-case-bear-brook

https://mm.nh.gov/files/uploads/doj/remote-docs/20171102-allenstown-manchester-timeline.pdf

https://www.missingkids.org/blog/2025/the-little-girl-in-the-barrel-a-bear-brook-mystery-solved

The Unidentified Middle Child

Fontana Jane Doe 1988

Fontana Jane Doe is the name given to an unidentified homicide victim that was found in Fontana, California in August 1988. Despite being found only hours after her death, the young woman’s identity has remained a mystery for over 36 years.

Shortly after 7 AM on August 15, 1988, a motorist passing a field in Fontana, California spotted a body wrapped in bedding. Upon further investigation, authorities determined that the victim was likely killed elsewhere and then the body was dumped in the clearing about 50 yards west Sierra Avenue and 400 yards south of Interstate 15. The victim’s cause of death was determined to be stabbing.

The victim was determined to be a Black female between the ages of 18 and 30, with brown eyes and short black hair. She weighed about 135 pounds and was somewhere between 5 feet 5 inches and 6 feet 7 inches tall. The victim also had several scars covering her body, including a healed C-shaped scar above the left eye, a linear scar above the right eye, a scar over the right hip, and several scars on the right arm.

Graphic ⚠️ Postmortem Photograph linked below

https://www.namus.gov/api/CaseSets/NamUs/UnidentifiedPersons/Cases/6429/Images/5564/Original

The victim’s toe nails as well as prosthetic, or acrylic, fingernails, were painted red (magenta) or hot pink with dots. She also had 3 piercings on each ear, but was not wearing earrings at the time of her discovery.

The victim was found to be wearing more fashionable or “dressy” attire; she was found wearing a white tutu/ballet-style evening dress that was designed with a white satin undershirt attached to it, as well as a white petticoat.

Although it has been decades since the victims initial discovery, authorities and the community are still searching for answers as to who this woman was. The victim has several identifying factors, includes her dentals, fingerprints, and DNA, so I believe it is only a matter of time before this Jane Doe gets her name back with the help of new genealogy technology.

If you have any information on this case, please leave a tip to one of the links listed below.

Resources-

https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Fontana_Jane_Doe_(1988)

https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/65875207/

https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/6429

https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/735ufca.html

Suffolk County John Doe

Suffolk County John Doe was the name given to an unidentified teenage boy whose remains were found in Suffolk County, New York in 1998. He has been unidentified for over 26-years.

On May 20, 1998, while checking for graffiti, a school custodian found skeletal remains behind the Brentwood Freshman Center’s storage facility in Brentwood, New York. The remains were found along a fence within an overgrown sump area directly behind the storage facility.

Discovery location behind the storage building, circa 2001

The victim was determined to be a White or Hispanic male between the ages of 15-17, and was estimated to stand at 5’7″ tall. Autopsy determined that the victim had died 6 months prior to the discovery of the remains.

The remains were found with several items, including: white socks, white boxers with blue vertical stripes, shirt with “Chicago” written on it, Black Buffalo hiking boots (size 8 1/2), green and black Alliance Down jacket (size XL), a Boy Scout belt buckle, yellow metal stud with a green stone, and white plastic rosary beads. The victim also had an iridescent green plastic keyring inscribed with the phrase “Hands of Gold Jewelry”.

Lastly, the remains were found with a blanket tied in a knot around the neck.

Unfortunately, no facial reconstructions were ever developed for the victim, so there are no visual illustrations of what the boy may have looked like in his life.

If you have any information about this case, please send a tip to one of the links listed below.

Sources-

https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Suffolk_County_John_Doe_(May_1998)

https://www.reddit.com/r/gratefuldoe/s/W08PHzj0zs

https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/2925?nav

Barren County Jane Doe

Barren County Jane Doe was the name given to an unidentified child who was found deceased in Kentucky in August of 1989. The child has been unidentified for over 35 years.

On August 8, 1989, an Army Corps of Engineers worker came across a blue suitcase on the shore of the Barren River Laker, which is about 5 miles south of Glasgow, Kentucky on U.S. Route 31E. Inside the suitcase were the skeletal remains of a child. Autopsy results determined that the child had died 1-6 months prior to the discovery of the remains.

Blue suitcase the child’s remains were found in

Due to the state of decomposition, the child’s exact cause of death could not be determined, but the case was classified as a homicide. The child’s exact gender and race also could not be determined, but it is believed they are a biracial female and was between 2-3-years old.

Facial Reconstruction with male features

Some time after the discovery, the Kentucky State Police received three calls from an individual that claimed to be an attorney for a woman who had information about the child. The attorney requested the woman’s immunity in exchange for her knowledge on the case. However, after those calls, the authorities stopped receiving calls from the individual.

If you have any information on this case, please contact the Kentucky State Police (270-782-2010) or the Barren County Coroner’s Office (270-651-5122 or 502-852-5587), or submit a tip to the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children.

Sources-

https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Barren_County_Jane_Doe_(1989)

https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/934ufky.html

https://www.missingkids.org/poster/NCMU/1184273/1

https://www.reddit.com/r/gratefuldoe/s/bMk1Vq5NcD

Gwinnett County Jane Doe

Gwinnett County Jane Doe is the name given to an unidentified woman whose nearly skeletal remains were found on a private property in Duluth, Georgia.

On June 2, 2023, badly decomposed remains were found on a private property in Duluth, Georgia by the property owner’s son. The body was partially skeletonize, and rendered unrecognizable.

Autopsy determined that the remains belonged to an African American woman between the age of 25-35, and about 5’1″-5’5″ feet tall. Due to decomposition, her cause of death could not be determined, but she was estimated to have died 4 months prior to her discovery.

The woman also had a small tattoo on her back near her neck or upper shoulder area. The primary colors of the tattoo were red and white, possibly a patriotic symbol.

The woman’s remains were found wearing a racerback sleeveless camisole and short dress with spaghetti straps in a small size.

As of 2024, there haven’t been any further public updates regarding the Gwinnett County Jane Doe, but her DNA is currently being tested in database systems. Any further tips can be submitted to the Gwinnett County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Resources-

https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Gwinnett_County_Jane_Doe_(2023)

https://doenetwork.org/cases/1726ufga.html

https://uncovered.com/cases/2023-gwinnett-county-jane-doe

Gwinnett County Jane Doe (2023)

The Disappearance of Taylor Casey

Taylor Casey is a Chicago woman who recently went missing while on a yoga retreat in the Bahamas. She was last seen on June 19, 2024, with a lot of mysterious circumstances surrounding her disappearance. Taylor’s family fears that she was targeted and are pleading with the FBI to get involved in searching for her.

Taylor Casey is a 41-year-old youth program director from Chicago, Illinois; she is described by loved ones as a loving, caring, and kind person to the people around her.

Taylor was also a big yoga advocate. After practicing for almost 15 years, she planned to get a yoga teaching certification by attending classes hosted by the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat, which is a well known retreat in Nassua, Bahamas. This retreat is located on the same island as the popular Atlantis Resort, but on the western edge of the island and is only accessible by boat or walking down a long, remote beach. The retreat offers a variety of room styles to stay in, with Taylor opting to stay in one of the hut-style rooms.

Although located right on the beautiful beach, the retreat staff urged attendees not to leave the retreat or walk the beach alone because it was very dangerous. In January 2024, the United States issued a Level 2 travel advisory to the Bahamas due to the rising crime on the island.

Taylor arrived to the retreat on June 3, 2024. In the first few days of the trip, Taylor was regularly updating her family with her activities, appearing very happy and enjoying her stay. On June 18, her mother Colette received a photo of the beach and a text from Taylor saying, “I miss you, mom. I miss you. Look, I’m at the beach.” This was the last time Colette heard from her daughter. In the days that followed, her family became uneasy as they noticed her lack of communication. She was last seen by the other retreat attendees on June 19, 2024.

On June 20, 2024, staff at the retreat reported Taylor missing after she failed to attend the yoga classes for the day. An employee at the retreat contacted her mother asking if she had heard from Taylor, much to Colette’s surprise. Colette quickly contacted her family members to ask if they’d heard from Taylor; fortunately, one of Taylor’s nieces had access to her location, which pinged Taylor’s phone location in the ocean. Horrified, her family quickly made plans to travel to the Bahamas and search for Taylor.

Taylor’s phone was ultimately recovered from the ocean by Bahamian authorities, but her passport has not been found. Although the retreat staff and local authorities said they have put in their best efforts to find Taylor, her family believes otherwise.

Upon arriving at the Sivananda Retreat, Taylor’s family made several unsettling discoveries. The retreat had no missing persons flyers up, and many of the other guests weren’t even aware that an attendee was missing. The retreat staff explained that they didn’t want to scare guests and wanted to respect their privacy, and told Taylor’s family not to approach guests. Although her items appeared untouched, the hut that Taylor was staying in was still open to the public and not blocked off as a possible crime scene. Taylor’s mother Colette further expressed that she felt like Taylor was targeted because she is a black transgender woman.

Authorities in Chicago have now issued a missing persons report for Taylor. The Royal Bahamas Police Force’s chief superintendent and officer-in-charge of the Criminal Investigation Department has been put on a “garden leave” following a separate investigation. Taylor’s family has since returned back to Chicago, but have stated that they haven’t heard any updates since returning.

Today, July 11, 2024, is Taylor’s 42nd birthday. She should be enjoying the rest of a peaceful experience and celebrating her upcoming accomplishments. Instead, her whereabouts are unknown and her family is left with an unsettling fear for her on what should be her celebratory day. For any information leading to the whereabouts of Taylor Casey, contact the resources listed in the flyers below.

Resources-

https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/missing-chicago-woman-bahamas-taylor-casey-yoga-retreat/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/06/27/taylor-casey-missing-bahamas-yoga-retreat/

https://www.today.com/news/taylor-casey-missing-bahamas-yoga-retreat-rcna160121

Taylor Casey’s family seeks help on missing woman’s 42nd birthday

The Unsolved Disappearance of Jared Negrete

Jared Negrete was a 12-year-old boy who went missing while on a hiking expedition with his Boy Scout group in the San Bernardino National forest. He has been missing for over 30 years.

Jared Michael Negrete was born on September 11, 1978 in El Monte, California. He was in 8th grade and just 2 months away from his 13th birthday when he disappeared.

On July 19, 1991, Jared went on a camping trip with his Boy Scout group on Mount San Gorgonio in the San Bernardino National forest. The group consisted of one scout leader and 6 children, including Jared. The plan was that the group would hike to the peak of the mountain, then go back to the base camp and spend a night there.

As the group hiked up the mountain, Jared somehow became separated from them. Another group of hikers claimed to have seen Jared shortcutting the switchbacks on the trail, and advised him against this. Switchbacks are when trails have a “zig-zag” pattern going up a steep incline; shortcutting occurs when hikers try to walk straight through the trail instead of staying on the path. This can be dangerous to hikers as it can loosen the soil and destroy the path that is already created, as well as leading hikers in the wrong direction.

When the second group made it to the peak, they alerted Jared’s scout leader that he wasn’t in the group, as the first group already made it to the peak without him. Jared’s scout leader said he would get him once the group made their way back down, as he apparently told Jared to sit and wait for the group because he was struggling to keep up.

When the group eventually made their way back down the mountain, Jared was nowhere to be found. After a brief search, the scout leader took the rest of the group back to the base and then hiked about 5 miles to find help. Around midnight, the group leader found the park rangers, who initiated one of the biggest search and rescues’s in the park’s history. As the temperature had dropped to the low 50s by then, the park rangers worked quickly to find Jared.

Hundreds of search and rescue teams from nearby counties came together to search for Jared by land and air. On the third day of the search, a footprint was found matching the shoes that Jared had worn that day. As searchers narrowed the search area down to where the footprint was found, they found beef jerky and candy wrappers, thought to have been left by Jared. They also found Jared’s disposable camera and his backpack.

As searchers investigated his belongings, they found the last known photo of Jared taken by himself. The photo was a close up of his face, with only his eyes and nose showing, and a dark background. It is believed that Jared was trying to use the flash from his camera as a light as it began to grow dark.

Despite the search and discovery of his belongings, Jared was nowhere to be found. The search continued for a span of 19 days, but nothing more ever came of it, and was eventually put to an end.

It has been over 30 years and no other traces of Jared have ever been found. Jared was 5’2″ and weighed 150lbs. The day he went missing, he was wearing a traditional Boy Scout uniform with green pants, a tan t-shirt, and black hightop shoes; he also wore glasses with brown rims. Without any trace of him, there are several possibilities of what exactly happened to Jared. Hopefully in the coming times, something will be found to give Jared’s family closure on what happened to him.

Resources-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Jared_Negrete

The Girl With The Turquoise Jewelry

Perry County Jane Doe, also known as “The Girl With The Turquoise Jewelry” is the name given to an unidentified woman whose remains were found in Perry County, Pennsylvania in June 1979. Although her death is undetermined, it has still been considered suspicious by authorities. Othram also began the process of genetic genealogy in 2023 to help identify the woman.

On June 20, 1979, a stonemason discovered badly decomposed skeletal remains alongside Juanita River located nearby a highway in Perry County, Pennsylvania. Because the remains were so decomposed, the death was estimated to have occurred months before, possibly even August of 1978.

The human remains were estimated to have been a woman between 15-38 years old, with a minimum height of 5’2″ and maximum height of 5’9″, and weighed between 105-125 pounds. The woman was determined to be white, with straight or curly shoulder-length blonde or light brown hair.

Jane Doe was discovered with several unique pieces of jewelry, which is where her nickname comes from. She was wearing two sterling silver rings with turquoise stones, one of which also contained the onyx stone. Jane Doe also wore a chain bracelet on her right arm, as well as a matching turquoise necklace and pair of earrings. Authorities believe this jewelry originated from Arizona, New Mexico, or another similar region, with Native American tribes like the Navajo or Zuni Indians who make similar jewelry.

The victim wore a tan jacket, white boots with silver buckles, green and white socks, and blue slacks. The slacks were made from knitted wool that contained strands of red threads. She also wore two tops, a white shirt and blue tank top.

It was noted that the victim received dental care during her life, with several fillings discovered, as well as several healed areas where teeth were removed. One of her molar teeth had also not yet erupted.

Autopsy revealed that Jane Doe had previously fractured a rib, which was healed at the time of death. It was also found that she may have possibly spent several months living in the Midwest or Southern Canada, near the Great Lakes, when she was an adolescent.

The victim was buried shortly after she was discovered, but her remains were exhumed in 2008 for further DNA testing. Her DNA and dental records have been recorded and filed, but because of how badly her remains were decomposed, no fingerprints could be collected.

About 60 identities have been ruled out as being Perry County Jane Doe. Professional artists have sketched and made facial reconstructions of what the young woman would have looked like. On September 27, 2023, Othram announced that they had begun the process of genetic genealogy to help uncover the victim’s identity.

It has been over 40 years since the remains of Perry County Jane Doe were discovered. Although it is unknown what the manner of her death was, with more DNA testing, hopefully more information about this woman will be revealed and her identity will be given back.

Resources-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perry_County_Jane_Doe

https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/vicap/unidentified-persons/jane-doe-23

https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Perry_County_Jane_Doe_(1979)

The Unsolved Murder of Karina Holmer

Karina Holmer was a young woman from Sweden who was found murdered after a night out with friends just months after moving to Boston, Massachusetts. Her case has been unsolved for over 27 years.

Karina E. Holmer was a 19 year old young woman from Skillingaryd, Sweden. After purchasing a lottery ticket and winning $1,500, Karina decided to use her money to move to America and work as an au pair.

In March, 1996, Karina worked with an unlicensed agency to get to America using a tourist visa. Karina moved to South Boston and lived in a basement apartment on A Street, and was in charge of caring for 2 children living in Dover. Karina often spent her free time exploring her new home and making new friends who also worked as au pairs. She also often wrote letters to her family back in Sweden.

On July 21st, 1996, the Summer Solstice, also known as Midsummer, began. This is a popular celebration in Sweden and America, so to celebrate, Karina went out to the Theater district, known for its many bars and nightclubs, with 3 friends. Karina became incredibly inebriated and was last seen at the Zanzibar nightclub, which is now closed, around midnight.

The following day at around 1:30 p.m., a homeless man was rummaging through some dumpsters behind an apartment building at 1091 Bolyston St. when he discovered something horrifying. Inside the dumpster was the upper torso of a female that had been wrapped in black trash bags. The woman’s body was cut right at the waist. The bottom half of the woman’s torso has never been found. Her cause of death was determined to be strangulation, noted by the ligature markings on her neck.

The body was soon identified as 19 year old Karina Holmer by her friends. The police did not release news of her identification to the public until after her family in Sweden was notified. Upon learning of their daughter’s gruesome murder, Karina’s father Ola asked the lead detective, “What am I getting back?” in regards to her remains. The detective replied, “You’re getting her upper torso. You’re getting her beautiful face.”

Investigators believe that because of the gruesome nature of the crime, easy access to the dumpster, and the fact that Karina was new to the area, her killer(s) must have known her or been familiar with her. Several people were looked into, including Karina’s host family from work. Investigators ran into difficulties with this, as the family would not talk or give any information regarding Karina. This has made some believe that Frank Rapp, the father, may have had more to do with Karina’s murder, believing that a secret relationship may have occurred between the two, but none of this has been confirmed.

It was also found that the family, who was very much wealthy, used the unlicensed au pair agency to get at least 6 other nannies before they hired Karina. This has raised the question that if the family is so well off, why did they use this illegal agency to get several au pairs? The video by The Misery Machine (linked below) covering Karina’s case brings this up as they explain that these unlicensed agencies are borderline human trafficking, as many of these au pairs are brought to these homes and often treated horribly, even abused. Because they are through these illegal agencies, they aren’t documented, therefore there isn’t an actual record of them being there for work in legal agencies. This can be very dangerous for the women working in these situations, like Karina unfortunately. Had she not been found, she would have likely remained missing and her family in Sweden wouldn’t even know.

Though Karina’s case has gone cold, investigators are still looking for evidence and accepting tips as to who could have done this to her.

Resources-

https://www.bostonherald.com/2022/03/30/from-the-archive-body-identified-as-swedish-nanny-karina-holmer/amp/

https://youtu.be/iO3gXcl40ws?si=RAcJ5yvLIy47NwFV

https://coldcasene.org/f/karina-holmer

Finley Creek Jane Doe

Finley Creek Jane Doe is the name given to a pregnant homicide victim whose remains were discovered at Finley Creek Cow Camp in August of 1978. She has remained unidentified for over 40 years, but her case has gained lots of media attention as web sleuths and investigators reopen her case.

At about 7am on August 27, 1978, two hunters were visiting the Finley Creek Cow Camp near Union County, Oregon when they came across a skull protruding out of a shallow grave. More skeletal remains were found scattered nearby the grave. As investigators began collecting evidence from the scene, they noted that there were also smaller bones along with the remains.

The medical examiner determined that the skeletal remains belonged to a woman who was estimated to be between 6-8 months pregnant, which accounted for the smaller fetal remains found. The woman was determined to be white with light brown or blonde hair, standing between 5’1”- 5’3”, and weighing about 115-125 lbs. She was estimated to be between 17-25 years old. It was also noted that the woman received extensive dental work during her life, which included several fillings and multiple extractions. Some articles of clothing were found near the woman’s remains as well, which included: red “Catalina” brand size 15/16 pants, ankle-high lace up shoes, and a white halter top with flower patterns.

Throughout the 80s and 90s, several tips were given to investigators about Finely Creek Jane Doe’s possible identification. However, these were all ruled out or didn’t hold strong leads. Despite having no confirmed identification, the case was considered closed in 1990 and the Union County DA Russ West ordered that the evidence and remains be destroyed. Jane Doe and her unborn child’s remains were then sent to a crematorium in Walla Walla, Washington and cremated, which are now considered lost.

Despite the remains being destroyed, in 2019 the original medical examiner behind the case, Dr. Nici Vance, teamed up with members of the Finley Creek Jane Doe Task Force to create a facial reconstruction. On May 5, 2020, a forensic facial reconstruction of Jane Doe was released to the public.

In 2022, a woman from Walla Walla, Washington named Suzanne Timms came forward after suspecting that the Jane Doe may be her missing mother Patricia “Patty” Otto. Suzanne came across the facial reconstruction of Finley Creek Jane Doe on FaceBook, taken aback by how much it resembled herself. She then became convinced that the Jane Doe could be her mother who went missing in 1976 when she was 3 years old. She stated that she remembers her mother wearing the same clothes that was found near the Jane Doe the last time she saw her. Unfortunately, Patricia Otto was also ruled out as the Jane Doe, leading investigators back to square one. Suzanne Timms continues to investigate her mother’s disappearance and find out what happened to her.

Although much time has passed and the evidence and remains are considered lost, there is still a chance to find out who was the Finley Creek Jane Doe and what could have happened to her and her unborn child.