Who Is Sonoma County (Santa Rosa) Jane Doe (1979), the only unidentified victim of the Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Killer?
Discovered: July 2, 1979 in Santa Rosa. Sonoma County, CA
Estimated Date of Death: 3-7 years prior (earliest 1972)
State of Remains: Near complete or complete skeleton
Cause of Death: Homicide
Estimated Age: 16-21 years old
Race: White
Sex: Female
Height: 5'3", estimated
Weight: Unknown; medium build
Hair: Brown or auburn
Distinguishing Marks/Features: had broken a rib at some point in life (healed), had a broken arm which was broken at the time of death.
Personal Items: Hard contact lens inside a metal candy tin decorated with cherries found near the remains.
Circumstances of Discovery: Hikers found skeletal remains, nude and hog-tied, in a steep ravine along a creek west of Calistoga Road near Santa Rosa. The decedent had been stuffed in a duffle or laundry-type bag before she was dumped approximately one hundred yards from where the body of Lori Lee Kursa was recovered seven years earlier. She is a victim of the Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Murder, who was responsible for the deaths of least seven female hitchhikers between 1972 to 1974. Several suspects, including the Zodiac Killer, Arthur Leigh Allen, and Ted Bundy have been considered, but no one has yet to be convicted. This woman is the only unidentified victim attributed to this serial killer. She was previously speculated to be Jeannette Kamahele, but dental comparison and DNA ruled her out.
Comparisons: despite Jeannette Kamahele being ruled out as being our Doe via dentals and DNA (according to Doe Network), the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office has yet to provide any official rule-outs to NAMus.
Popular Theories:
Paula Ann Pope, who was last seen on September 3, 1972, in Fresh Pond, CA, is thought to be a likely match. She was last seen leaving her campsite after getting into a fight with her husband because she wanted to go to a concert in Carson City, Nevada, and he didn't. She hitchhiked to the concert, then hitchhiked back with two people from Sacramento (where she lived at the time). She allegedly planned to return to the campsite, and was last seen by her travel companions with "motorcycle types". She was 18, had light brown hair which matched the auburn-like color of the Doe's, and wore hard contact lenses. The one trait that doesn't match is her height - 4'10" - however, I feel it's very important for the unacquainted with unidentified persons cases to know that with skeletal remains (and remains in most states of decomposition, to be frank) are very difficult to assign an accurate height to. Typically, there is a height range which can vary widely, but in some cases, such as Sonoma County Doe's, the ME doesn't list a range but just a single estimated number. So, it's a good idea to always take height with a grain of salt when sleuthing. This same rule should be applied to age range as well, which is typically far more accurate, but can definitely be off sometimes depending on the range (e.g., a Doe estimated to be 16-24 could also likely be 15 years old, because y'know, puberty hits people at different ages and all that).
Peggy Ann Reed, who was last seen in Santa Rosa, CA, on March 28, 1974, in the area of Guerneville Road and Coddling Town Mall; she was possibly hitchhiking. She was 15 at the time with light brown, shoulder-length hair, and apparently wore glasses occasionally, which makes it possible that she also wore contacts. She was 5'2".
Personal Theories:
Corinne June Groenenberg, who was last seen on November 1, 1973, in Modesto County. A family friend saw Groenenberg leave her home and followed her until she reached the highway and started to hitchhike. She was last seen getting into a green or blue truck. The driver was male. Corinne was 16 years old, with the same brownish-auburn hair color, and she stood at 5'6". Modesto is just under 3 hours away from Santa Rosa; I feel this is an unlikely match but not impossible as, depending on her intended destination, it's entirely possible she could have made it a decent way hitchhiking until she got to the Santa Rosa area and got into the wrong vehicle.
Sherry Jean Pickle, who was last seen on May 14, 1972, in Long Beach, CA. She is thought to have either hitchhiked to the Los Angeles area or traveled to meet a male companion. I think Sherry is less likely, considering Long Beach to LA is about a 40 min drive, but Long Beach to Santa Rosa is over seven hours, and the Santa Rosa hitchhiker killer wasn't known to operate outside of Sonoma County. It would fit better if Santa Rosa much closer and/or was on the way to LA.
It is important to note that it is unknown if either of these girls wore glasses or contacts.
Both Peggy Ann Reed and Paula Ann Pope have been submitted as potential matches to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office, but the office has yet to confirm or deny that they are even in the process of testing for these tips.
The last known image of Ruthie Fawn Kindness, uploaded to her Facebook page on January 27th, 2011. The 20 year-old vanished a week and a half later, on February 7th, 2011.
Ruthie was released from police custody in Federal Way, Washington just hours before her disappearance. She had been arrested on an outstanding warrant. Ruthie later called her mother from a payphone at the Paradise Bowling Alley in Parkland, Washington. This is the last time her family has heard from her. Ruthie has never been seen or heard from again.
Ruthie has been classified as an endangered missing person. Despite this, investigators have not released many details about her disappearance. A Facebook page titled ‘Where’s Ruthie’ states that Ruthie’s loved ones believe she was a victim of foul play. Two years after her disappearance, a post was shared to the page that stated “we have some tips, info, names and there will be answers and justice for Ruthie one day for sure. There are people she hung out with out in the Parkland area we believe they’re hiding a sick secret, we believe they did something to her and are walking around scot-free and there are others who know about it yet don’t say anything or just ignore us or lie.” It is clear that Ruthie’s loved ones have certain persons of interest in mind, however said persons have not been publicly identified.
There is a $7800 reward in place for anyone with information that could lead to Ruthie’s whereabouts. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact the Auburn Police Department at 253-931-3080.
Jaylen Griffin has been missing since August 4th, 2020. The young boy was only 12 years old at the time of his disappearance. Jaylen’s family members last saw him near his home on Warren Avenue in Buffalo, New York. The day he vanished, Jaylen took his new puppy for a walk in the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood. Shortly after he returned home, he told his mother he was going out again. Jaylen never returned home and has never been heard from again.
Jaylen reportedly left his home around 11:00 AM, and he did not tell his mother where he was going. He was known to frequent neary stores in the area so he could help people carry their grocery bags. Jaylen’s mother initially thought he was doing that on the day of his disappearance. However, when he did not return home, his family members began to think that something was wrong. According to sources close to Jaylen’s family, he is not the type to go far from home or to stay out late.
There were reported sightings of Jaylen around the Buffalo area in the months following his disappearance, and authorities believe he may still be in the area. In November 2020, three months after Jaylen vanished, his older brother Jawaan Griffin was shot and killed. Many thought that the news of his brother’s passing would encourage Jaylen to return home, but he didn’t–nor did he contact his family at all.
Despite all of this, authorities reportedly still believe Jaylen is alive. An article from April 2021 quotes Buffalo Police Captain Jeff Rinaldo, who stated, “we have no information that leads us to believe he is in immediate danger. I mean the fact of his age and the fact that he is not under his parental supervision is obviously dangerous to begin with, but we do not believe that he was abducted or taken against his will.” It is unclear if authorities have any concrete evidence to support this statement, and they have revealed very few details about the investigation.
If you have any information that could lead to Jaylen’s whereabouts, please call the Buffalo Police confidential tip line at (716) 847-2255.
In April 2024, it was reported that a maintenance employee working at a multi-unit house on 107 Sheffield Avenue found a body in the attic. That body was later identified as Jaylen Griffin. His death was labeled a homicide.
The house where Jaylen was found is approximately five miles away from his home. Neighbor in that area told reporters that police had responded to that house “several times” over the years. At this time, police have not named any suspects or persons of interest in Jaylen’s case.
Jaylen’s mother passed in September 2023, before learning of her son’s fate. His remaining family members are hoping to find justice. The investigation is ongoing, and there is a monetary reward available for anyone with information that could lead to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for Jaylen’s homicide.
If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact authorities.
This is one frustrating case because it looks like it could have been easily solved if the people involved had done the right thing at the right time. Instead, we are left with guesses and questions.
The whole Thompson family disappeared during the weekend of the 4th July, 1996, it’s unclear what day exactly but the father, Everett (40) was last seen on July 5th. That day he was talking to his father on the phone when he got a panicked call from his wife Lydia (43), who told him her brother, Kenneth White, was chasing her around the house with an ax. Everett left in a rush and never came back to work.
Now you’d think that if your son tells you he’s going home because his wife is being chased by a man with an ax, you’d call the police. But for some reason, Everett’s father didn’t do that. Instead, he and his wife reported their son missing on July 17th, 12 days after that last conversation. When police went to check the Thompson’s house, they found Everett, Lydia and their sons Everett Jr. (11) and Andrew (8) gone. Also gone was Lydia’s white van. At home was, however, Kenneth White. He said the family had gone on a trip.
At first look police didn’t see any evidence that something was wrong in the house. But of course, 12 days had passed. Kenneth was an ex con, who was staying with the Thompsons after being released in February that year from a aggravated criminal sexual assault sentence. Not exactly the person you’d like to have in your home, but turns out that Kenneth owned part of the house where the Thompsons lived, because it was an inheritance from his and Lydia’s. After police left, Kenneth sold the house and also Lydia’s van, whom he had without the police’s knowledge. The house got renovated and the van crushed, so all potential evidence was lost.
Police’s actions are a little baffling, especially considering that two days before she went missing, Lydia had called 911 to tell them her brother was threatening with an ax (yes, it had happened before). At the time, the officer that responded to the call reported that everything seemed calm when he’d visited the house.
Kenneth White was an obvious suspect, and it’s very likely he’s responsible for the disappearence of the Thompsons. In July 1997, the FBI searched the area around a trailer that White was renting and inside found blood-stained clothes and a boy’s sock. Whose, it wasn’t disclosed. Whatever answers Kenneth might have had, he took them to the grave, In December of 1997, while he was in jail for forging one of Lydia’s checks, he hanged himself. He didn’t leave a suicide note or any explanation to what happened to the Thompsons.
“The Kent State shootings (also known as the May 4 massacre or the Kent State massacre)[3][4][5] were the shootings on May 4, 1970 of unarmed college students by members of the Ohio National Guard at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio during a mass protest against the bombing of Cambodia by United States military forces. Twenty-eight guardsmen fired approximately 67 rounds over a period of 13 seconds, killing four students and wounding nine others, one of whom suffered permanent paralysis.[6][7]”
“There was a significant national response to the shootings: hundreds of universities, colleges, and high schools closed throughout the United States due to a student strike of 4 million students,[10] and the event further affected public opinion, at an already socially contentious time, over the role of the United States in the Vietnam War.[11]”
Student strike of 4 million students! Let’s do that again lol
But it was not just Kent State, eleven days later Mississippi Police fired 150 rounds into a dormitory at Jackson State College, killing 2 and wounding 15 black protesters.
My great uncle was going to school at Kent State when this happened. He told me that he woke up to a tank outside his dorm and called his parents to take him home. He also knew one of the people who was killed.
It’s not really something you forget if you’re from that area in Ohio. My high school had band camp at the Kent State campus and we would walk by the memorial showing where the students were murdered everyday. We even practiced on the field where the shooting took place one year.
The fact that this is not taught to everyone in school is vile and shows just how badly our government does not want us to remember that they murdered their own citizens while participating in something that is a human right.
On Easter Sunday in the spring of 2022, Stephen and Wendy Red spent the day with friends in their home town of Concord, New Hampshire.
They had recently been relishing the newfound freedom bestowed upon them by retirement. With unburdened schedules and a zest for adventure, they embraced each moment as it unfolded.
The next afternoon, they left their Alton Woods apartment complex to go for a hike. It was about 2:22PM.
Two days later, Stephen was scheduled to play tennis with his brother, Peter, but he failed to appear. Peter called him up, but the phone just rang and rang, and the same for Wendy’s phone. Peter was concerned.
Stephen's punctuality was a hallmark of his character, making his failure to appear all the more alarming. Their sister, Susan, said: “He wouldn’t have left people hanging without letting them know he wasn’t going to show up.”
Peter contacted Susan, and she drove over to Stephen and Wendy’s home. When she pulled up outside, she saw that their cars were in their usual spots in the parking lot.
But when she knocked on their front door, nobody answered. The apartment complex manager eventually let Susan into the apartment.
Stepping into the familiar surroundings, she scanned the apartment for any signs of her brother and sister-in-law.
Everything appeared normal—the bed neatly made, a window left slightly ajar, but an inexplicable tension hung in the air.
Both Stephen and Wendy's cell phones lay abandoned on the kitchen counter, while Stephen's wallet rested on another nearby surface.
It seemed as though they had stepped out of the apartment momentarily, intending to return shortly thereafter….
This week's episode of Morbidology takes a look at the tragic case of Stephen and Wendy Reid. You can listen to episode 260 across all podcast platforms:
Daniel Lamberton has been missing since January 30th, 2010. The then-39-year-old was last seen in Aiea, Hawaii. On the evening of his disappearance, Daniel and his wife Theresa attended a church service at Farrington High School. The couple drove to the service separately, but met up once they arrived.
Afterwards, Daniel and Theresa left in their respective vehicles at the same time - presumably to go back home. Theresa made it back to their residence in Pearl City, but Daniel never arrived. At some point after leaving the church, Daniel called Theresa twice, but she was driving and missed the calls. When she tried to call back, Daniel did not answer. He has never been seen or heard from again.
Daniel was reported missing the following day. The vehicle he was driving vanished with him, leading many to fear that he had gotten into a car accident and/or had driven off the road. However, on February 2nd, Daniel’s car was found abandoned in a parking lot along the north shore in Oahu. The car was locked, and many of Daniel’s personal belongings were left inside. There was otherwise no sign of Daniel himself on the scene.
Searches for Daniel were conducted by both professionals and volunteers. Unfortunately, nothing was found. Years have passed, and there is very little information available about the investigation into Daniel’s disappearance. Police have given very few updates. There has been a lot of speculation about what might have happened to Daniel, but nothing has ever been confirmed. Still, there are a few prominent theories.
Homicide or Suicide? - Who Is "Becca"? Albuquerque or Bernalillo County Jane Doe
July 06, 2024
On June 3, 1991, a local truck driver named Eduardo Colin went to a Super 8 motel in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He rented a room for two people for that night. He was expected to check out the following morning, June 4, at 11am. Eduardo provided legitimate information when registering for the room, besides using a fake license plate number.
Eduardo was given Room 233.
On June 5, 1991, the motel staff realized that Eduardo had never checked out of the room, which he was supposed to do at least 24 hours prior. A security guard went to check the room but it had been locked from the inside.
Needing to use a screwdriver to get inside, a gruesome discovery was eventually made. At first, the security guard did not see anything strange, though there were multiple alcohol bottles on the table. He went into the bathroom and made the horrifying discovery of a woman hanging from the shower, an apparent suicide.
It appeared that the woman had hung herself using a suitcase strap. She had heroin in her system, and was believed to have died on June 3, two days prior, and the day Eduardo had checked into the motel.
The woman was severely decomposed. There was a photograph of a photo of her and another man in a photo booth. The man in the photo was identified as Eduardo by most of the motel employees. It is believed the photo was taken in a mall photo booth just before her death.
It took multiple years for Eduardo's family to be located. By the time they found his family, Eduardo had actually died himself, years prior from natural causes. Eduardo's family were shown the photograph and they confirmed that it was not actually him in the photo with the Jane Doe. They also claimed they had no idea who the woman was.
A scale was found in the motel room, on the table with the name "George Martinez" written on it. It's believed this scale was used to weigh packages of drugs, which probably makes sense as the woman had heroin in her system when she died.
Many speculate that the Jane Doe did not commit suicide, but rather Eduardo had something to do with her death, or she had overdosed on drugs. Eduardo had left the motel room at some point, and was never located again. It seems like Eduardo might be the only person who truly knows who the woman was and what happened to her.
It is suspicious that Eduardo's family denied that he was in the photo, when other employees had identified that it was him. The Jane Doe was found in Eduardo's motel room, so he must have known her. Was his family trying to cover something up?
There was a break in the case in March 2021, when investigator's received a tip that the Jane Doe's name may have been Becca and she may have been from Los Angeles County, specifically Reseda and Sylmar areas in California. Becca reportedly flew from LA or Burbank to Albuquerque.
Jane Doe or Becca had curly, strawberry blonde hair, hazel or grey eyes, was Caucasian, but possibly had Hispanic descent, with natural teeth and impacted wisdom teeth. She was estimated to be between 25-35 years old. She was 5'7 inches tall, and weighed 140 lbs.
She had multi-coloured bikini underwear, size M/6, multi-coloured Trends brand tank top, a white denim Guess Product by Georges Marciano brand pants with zippers near lower legs, three white metal earrings, and a wide metal silver/gold bracelet.
Found in the room was a brown suitcase containing women's clothing, a dark blue or black suede purse, a patterned pocketbook, $500 USD in cash, and the photo booth photo.
According to Reddit, the police are convinced it is a suicide, and that the Jane Doe was in the room by herself when this occurred. She locked herself in the room and then committed suicide when Eduardo left the room at some point. I would love to know if there's any footage of Eduardo leaving or if anyone saw anything. This would also explain why Eduardo hadn't taken the $500 and it was left in the room.
Jenna Nielsen (22) was weeks away from giving birth to her third child when she was brutally murdered on June 14th, 2007. The young woman was killed while delivering newspapers in Raleigh, North Carolina—a job she did every single morning. Jenna’s body was found shortly after she had been killed, behind the AmeriKing Food Mart on Lake Wheeler Road. Her car was still running nearby, with all of her personal belongings inside. Jenna had been stabbed in the neck.
Police called Jenna’s death ‘completely random’. They have followed numerous leads in the case, but they have not been able to charge anyone for Jenna’s murder. The lead detective on the case told reporters, “every single lead starts to become a dead end and that’s why the case has gone for as long as it has. We just keep having to dig.” The same detective also confirmed that they do have DNA evidence from the crime scene, and they think that it will one day help them solve the case. Still, over a decade has passed since Jenna’s murder and police do not appear to have any suspects.
There is a $15000 reward in place for anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of a suspect. If you have any information that could help solve Jenna’s case, please contact Crime Stoppers at 919-834-4357.
i had no idea about this case, with it being local to me. it reminds me a lot of Beth-Ellen Vinson’s case, which is shockingly similar.
Beth-Ellen was a 17yo dancer from Goldsboro and had just recently moved to Raleigh as a stepping stone before moving to New York City to follow her dreams of being a dancer. she had only been in Raleigh for 40 days when her beloved car was discovered in the driveway of a car lot on Capital Blvd (a few minutes away from Lake Wheeler Rd) with the doors open, still running with the radio on. Her body was discovered nearby, face down in a ditch, also violently stabbed. Her case occurred in 1996, and has also never been solved, with the exact same issue of every single lead seeming to be a dead end.
I found out about Beth-Ellen’s case a few months ago when i was driving home (towards Raleigh) from the beach - I had passed through Goldsboro and just as I was leaving it, there was a huge billboard that said “WHO KILLED BETH-ELLEN?” with her photo on it.
As someone not local to Raleigh, it may be easy to write this off as a coincidence; however, Raleigh and the Raleigh area is extremely safe, random, unsolved murders like this just do not happen. I have to wonder if it’s possible that there’s any connection to the two cases. Realistically, it’s probably not likely that the perpetrator is the same, but the MO is suspiciously similar.
its so funny when people say “democracy is doomed to fail” and use like ancient greece as an example. does the entire female population being slaves with no voice sound like a democracy to you… of course if you deprive your society of over half its knowledge and consign them to being prostitutes and broodmares its destined to fail. every society that advances womens rights advances as well!!!!!!
“august, unpack my fears so heaviness of old concerns don’t weigh me down, undress my uncertainty so i don’t clothe myself in narratives i’ve outgrown. wash away what isn’t for me and allow what is to flow into my life with ease. may yesterdays cycles become todays breakthroughs.”
— iambrillyant
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