NV CHURCHILL COUNTY JANE DOE: F, 26-70, found near US HWY 95 in Churchill County, NV - 19 May 2008 *BETTY LOU JAPEL*

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Unidentified Body/Remains (Female)
Found May 19, 2008 in Churchill County, NV
Body Condition: Not recognizable-Partial skeletal parts only
Probable year of death: to 2008

Vital Statistics
Estimated age: 26-70
Approximate Height: cannot estimate
Approximate Weight: cannot estimate
Hair Color: Unknown
Eye Color: Unknown
Scars and marks: nothing

Clothing & Accessories
Clothing: Orange halter top
Jewerly: nothing
Footwear: nothing
Accessories: nothing

Case History: On 05/19/2008 at approximately 1300 hours, a passerby discovered skeletal fragments partially covered with dirt and gravel in a remote area of Churchill County, Nevada near US HWY 95 near mile marker 55. Law enforcement personnel excavated the shallow dirt grave recovering numerous skeletal fragments along with an orange halter top.

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[Romulus]

Identified as Betty Lou Japel

Churchill County Jane Doe (2008) is now Identified

Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office Teams with Othram to Identify 2008 Homicide Victim

dnasolves.com

 

[Kimster]

From the above article:

Japel was 70 years old at the time of her death. Betty Lou Japel was last heard from in 2006 after going missing while traveling with her partner, Kenneth Miller. In June 2007, Miller's body was found in a grave near the site of where their abandoned motor home was located in Oregon. Betty Lou Japel was never heard from or seen again. Ms. Japel’s next of kin has been notified and is now able to claim her remains.


She and her boyfriend of 30 years were RVers who befriended someone along the way. Their friend, a felon, got into a shootout with police and shortly after, the boyfriend's body was found near an RV park where they'd camped, but there was no sign of the woman (Betty Lou). After the shootout, the friend committed suicide and was found in the desert near Mexico. It's believed (assumed?) that the friend killed the man and woman.

 

[Kimster]

What a sad story! An elderly couple using their retirement time to follow the dream of discovering America in an RV, like so many before and after them.