CA HEALDSBURG JANE DOE: WF, 30-50, found in Foss Creek behind Simi Winery in Healdsburg, CA - 24 Jan 1983

[Romulus]

961UFCA - Unidentified Female​

Reconstruction of the decedent; personal effects found at the scene.

Date of Discovery: January 24, 1983
Location of Discovery: Healdsburg, Sonoma County, California
Estimated Date of Death: 4 weeks prior
State of Remains: Not recognizable - Decomposing/putrefaction
Cause of Death: Undetermined

Physical Description​

Estimated Age: 30-50 years old
Race: White
Sex: Female
Height: 5'1 to 5'7
Weight: 100-140 lbs.
Hair Color: Brown with some gray visible.
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: One of the woman's legs was shorter than the other, causing a noticable limp. Healed fracture to rib 5.

Identifiers​

Dentals: Available.
Fingerprints: Not available.
DNA: Available.

Clothing & Personal Items​

Clothing: Blue jeans, one brown sock, J C Penny's brand panties size 42 and a brown ankle-length lace up boot,
Jewelry: white metal earring with greenish stone. Ful-Vue gold rim prescription glasses.
Additional Personal Items: Food stamps originally issued in June of 1982 in Philadelphia, PA. Green Girl Scout pocket knife. Green/red cloth tape measure. 2 keys with a paper tag. Metal pencil sharpener. 2 quartz crystal stones.

Circumstances of Discovery​

On Jan. 24, 1983, a gardener found a headless and partly decomposed body of an adult woman in Foss Creek behind Simi Winery, according to Press Democrat archives. Investigators later found a head during a search of the area. Police said the body may have been deposited upstream and dislodged by recent rains.

The remains were exhumed in 2011 for DNA samples and to uncover possible ties to serial killer Joseph Naso, despite the fact that no cause of death could be determined for this victim. Naso killed at least six women, four of which were prostitutes, between 1977 and 1994. He was convicted and subsequently sentanced to death in 2013.

Naso's known victims were found in Marin, Contra Costa, Yuba and Nevada Counties, but he had mentioned Healdsburg in a compiled list of ten potential victims, some of which he had photographed in unnatural positions.

Investigating Agency(s)​

Agency Name: Sonoma County Coroner's Department
Agency Contact Person: Greg Stashyn
Agency Phone Number: 707-565-5070
Agency E-Mail: gstashyn(at)sonoma-county.org
Agency Case Number: 83-100

Agency Name: Healdsburg Police Department
Agency Contact Person: Chief Kevin Burke
Agency Phone Number: 707-431-3377
Agency E-Mail: police(at)ci.healdsburg.ca.us
Agency Case Number: Unknown

NCIC Case Number: Unknown
NamUs Case Number: 11808

Information Source(s)​

NamUs
Press Democrat
Healdsburg Patch
Wikipedia

961UFCA

On Jan. 24, 1983, a gardener found #JaneDoe's headless body in Foss Creek behind Simi Winery in #CALIFORNIA

Investigators later found a head during a search of the area. Police said the body may have been deposited upstream and dislodged by recent rains.

www.crimewatchers.net

*CLICK THE REPORT BUTTON IF YOU'D LIKE THIS CASE MOVED TO THE GENERAL DISCUSSION AREA TO BE OPENED FOR COMMENTING.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

DNA Doe Project has taken on this case!

Healdsburg Jane Doe 1983 - DNA Doe Project Cases

The DNA Doe Network is attempting to identify a female body found in Healdsburg, California in 1983. Click to learn more.

dnadoeproject.org

On January 24, 1983 a gardener found a headless decomposing human body in Foss Creek behind a winery near Healdsburg, California. Searchers later found the cranium. On the body were blue jeans, one brown sock, JC Penny’s brand undergarments, and a brown ankle-length lace up boot. A number of personal items were located near/with the body, including a food stamp/voucher originally issued in June of 1982 out of Philadelphia, PA. Forensic anthropologists determined the remains belonged to a White/Caucasian female, 30-50 years old and about 5′ 5” tall. Despite suspicion that the deceased may have been connected to serial killer Joseph Naso, active in the area just prior to the date of the recovery of the remains, no link has since been confirmed. Law enforcement investigators at the time the remains were recovered concluded that the body has been washed out of a shallow grave further upstream from where it was discovered.

This case spent considerable time in the laboratory pipeline. It was ready to research just in time to be assigned to our latest cohort of interns from the University of New Haven’s Graduate Certificate Program in Forensic Genetic Genealogy.

Status: Research in Progress


Doe Network: 961UFCA

NamUs: The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

RULED OUT:
Norma Houghland, Sacramento CA, 1978
Andrea Coyle, Blair PA, 1978
Marjorie Linehan, Sacramento CA, 1982
Phyllis Brewer, Mahoning OH, 1981