List of unidentified decedents in California

Sketch of the Huntington Beach Jane Doe, discovered in 1990 in California

Unidentified decedents are a group of people who have died but officials were unable to discover who they were when they were alive. Several victims are not identified for several years or even decades after their deaths, one case being that of Barbara Precht, who died in 2006 and was identified in 2014.^[1] Around 40,000 decedents still remain unidentified in the United States.^[2][3]

Los Angeles County Does (1921–1951)

Retouched morgue photograph of the female victim killed in a dynamite explosion between 1921 and 1951.

Two children were witnessed playing with sticks of dynamite in Los Angeles County, California between the years of 1921 and 1951. The dynamite subsequently exploded and killed both the victims, one male and one female. Poor record keeping resulted in the exact date of the incident being unknown; the time range was established from the thirty-year career of the particular crime scene photographer. Very little is known about these two victims, especially the male child, as it was impossible to create a reconstruction from his body due to the injuries he suffered. The female was in much better condition. She was most likely a teenager, though a wider possible age range is not known. Her height, weight, hair and eye color are unknown; though she most likely was Caucasian.^[4]

San Bernardino County John Doe (1930)

San Bernardino County John Doe, killed by a truck in 1930.

A man estimated to be between the ages of fifty-five and sixty years old was struck by a truck on Cajon Highway on October 22, 1930 in Verdemont, San Bernardino County, California. The victim had been walking alongside the road and was presumed to have been killed as soon as the vehicle collided with his body. He had hazel eyes, a beard and gray hair. His height and weight were five feet eight inches and 180 pounds, respectively. The unidentified man's fingerprints have since been obtained, but his dental records were not and his DNA was not possible to use to create a genetic profile to compare to potential matches.^[5]

Los Angeles County Jane Doe (1968)

1968 Los Angeles County Jane Doe

An African-American woman was found dead on September 30, 1968 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California. The woman was estimated to be over the age of twenty five and was at a height of five feet three inches tall and weighed about 110 pounds. Her hair was black and her eyes were brown, coinciding with her race. The teeth were left in a natural condition, as no evidence of dental work was noted. Her wisdom teeth had yet to erupt. The woman wore a pullover shirt, pants, black shoes and matching socks. The colors of the pants and shirt are unknown. She may have died of a drug overdose and her body was abandoned behind a building, presumably transported from the place of death. It is believed she was seen alive prior to her death, but this has not led to the discovery of her identity.^[6]

Carson Jane Doe

A Hispanic female's body was found in Carson, Los Angeles County, California after she was presumably buried by two Hispanic males fleeing the scene on April 20, 1978. She had pierced ears, painted nails and plucked eyebrows, indicating she made effort toward her appearance. She was five feet two inches tall and weighed 133 pounds at the approximate age of sixteen to twenty years old. After examination of her body, a scar was found on her abdomen and stretch marks were visible on her stomach, possibly due to carrying a child. Her teeth overlapped on the right side of her top set of teeth.^[7]

Rancho Cucamonga Jane Doe

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NCMEC reconstruction

Reconstruction of the Rancho Cucamonga Jane Doe

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rancho Cucamonga Jane Doe.

The body of a female aged seventeen to twenty-three was discovered on June 6 or 7, 1979 in Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino County, California. The victim was left at the edge of a vineyard and wore only green socks and Lower Quarter Earth brand leather boots.^[8] It is believed that the Jane Doe was dead within days before her body was found, although the cause of death and other circumstances have not been published. She was approximately five feet two inches with shoulder-length light brown hair and weighed between 100 and 110 pounds.^[9] Her teeth overlapped somewhat and one of her teeth was mesially fractured. Forty-four missing people have been excluded from the case.^[10]

Bell John Doe

Bell John Doe

The body of a male between fifteen and twenty was found at the side of a river after he died approximately hours before in Bell, Los Angeles County, California on September 19, 1979. He had brown hair and brown eyes and wore a leather belt, Hawaiian-style shirt, blue pants and white socks. The decedent was approximately five feet eight inches tall and weighed 139 pounds. The cause of his death has not been published.^[11]

Sierra Madre John Doe

The skeletonized body of a white male between twenty-two and twenty-eight years of age was found in Sierra Madre, California on January 5, 1981 alongside a river. He was believed to have died one or more years before his body was found. He was between five feet five to five feet eight inches tall and is presumed to be white, although he may have had Asian heritage. He had blond hair and was found wearing a blue jersey with the numbers "44."^[12]

Los Angeles County John Doe (1981)

Los Angeles County John Doe (1981)

A Hispanic man was killed after his vehicle collided with a light post after he was racing another vehicle on March 15, 1981 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California. The victim was estimated to have been between thirty-two and forty-five and was at a height of five feet three inches and a weight of 132 pounds. His eyes and hair were dark, coinciding with the estimation of his race and he had noticeable wear on his teeth. He wore a white tee shirt, tan pants, socks and a brown hat. Despite the fact that the license plate on the 1968 Ford truck he drove was decipherable, he remained unidentified.^[13]

Los Angeles County Jane Doe (1985)

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NCMEC reconstruction

An African-American infant's decomposing body was found on August 19, 1985 in an alley in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California.^[14] The child, who was no more than a year old, was dangerously malnourished, which indicated she was neglected by her caretakers. She was two feet two inches tall and weighed fourteen pounds at the time of death. Her hair and eyes were brown and she had four teeth, which were the central incisors. Despite her severe neglect, both of her ears had been pierced.^[15]

Los Angeles County Jane Doe (1989)

1989 Los Angeles County Jane Doe illustrated with curly hair

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NCMEC reconstruction

A Hispanic female was found lying on her back, deceased, in an alley on May 28, 1989 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California. The girl was believed to be between the ages of twelve and fifteen when she died hours before her discovery due to an undisclosed cause. The height and weight of the female were estimated to be five feet three inches and 124 pounds, respectively. Her hair was either black or dark brown and her eyes were also brown. The texture of her hair is disputed, as some state she had curly hair and others claim it was straight.^[16] Despite her young age, she had multiple tattoos: an "oval or diamond" shaped design around the letters "p," "o," "h" and "s" along with another on the back her upper right leg. It is believed that the body was placed at the location by another individual, yet it is unknown if foul play was involved in the girl's death.^[17] The girl wore a blue shirt that read "Somebody in California Loves Me," dark blue but faded jeans, a tan bra, white or green underwear, white socks and black shoes with some red. She also wore jewelry that included a ring with a lion decoration, a ring with a light blue stone along with earrings, a bracelet adorned with pendants and a necklace.^[18]

Huntington Beach Jane Doe (1990)

Reconstruction of the Huntington Beach Jane Doe

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NCMEC reconstruction

A young woman, between the ages of eighteen and thirty, was killed after she stepped into the path of a moving vehicle on April 1, 1990 on the Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach, California. The female was white, five feet three to five feet four inches tall and weighed around 122 pounds. Both her eyes and hair were brown, the latter was somewhat wavy and cut at "chin length." The Jane Doe was described as "well nourished" and had a bra size of 40D. Examination of her teeth indicated she had braces at some point during her life and she also had several restorations and fillings, as well as having her wisdom teeth extracted.^[19] The victim had acne scars on her face and wore a black dress, fishnet leggings and a pink or red top with matching high-heeled shoes. She had also painted her toenails black, had pierced ears and wore a lock of hair around her smallest finger on her left hand.^[20] The personal items with the female included a schedule for an Orange County bus service and a gold key on an orange tag with the numbers "218." The subject had been seen alive before her death and had stayed at several different homes in Orange County, claiming that she was an adoptee searching for her biological relatives and that her adoptive family was prominent, yet she never disclosed who they were, however, she told some they were from New York or Virginia. She had also stated her name was Andrea and she was in her mid twenties, yet many believed she was younger, as she appeared so. The case has been featured on the show Unsolved Mysteries.^[21]

Los Angeles County John Doe (1991)

1991 Los Angeles County John Doe

On January 5, 1991, a man's body was found in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California. He was between forty and sixty years old, six feet one inch tall and weighed 175 pounds. The man had brown hair, blue eyes and also wore glasses as well as a tattoo on his left arm of the word "animal." He had suffered an injury to one of his knees in the past, which had healed before his death. He was wearing a blue shirt, black jacket, white and blue underwear, black boots, black belt and black pants. He also wore a watch with a broken metal band.^[22] He did not have teeth, yet it has not been disclosed if he wore or did not wear dentures.^[23] Some sources state he was found unresponsive on a sidewalk and others state he was found in an abandoned car.^[24]

Hollywood John Doe (1993)

1993 Hollywood John Doe

A young man jumped to his death from a hotel on May 15, 1993 in Hollywood, Los Angeles County, California. His estimated age was between twenty-five and thirty-five, and he weighed 155 pounds at the height of five feet six to five feet eight inches tall. He was white with some possibly Hispanic characteristics; as he had dark hair, dark eyes and olive-toned skin. The man had a scar on his abdomen, which could assist with his identification. He wore black pants, white socks and shoes, a purple shirt, a necklace, and a black jacket.^[25]

Los Angeles County John Doe (1993)

1993 Los Angeles County John Doe

A man between thirty and forty-five years old was found dead in a hotel in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California on October 23, 1993. The victim had committed suicide by ingesting lethal amounts of cyanide. He was determined to be Caucasian and had brown hair and blue eyes and was five feet nine inches tall and weighed 182 pounds. The man wore a red shirt with beige pants, underwear and shoes and a belt that were both brown. The victim was likely married, as he wore a ring on his left hand. Apart from this, the only personal item with the body was a set of car keys.^[26]

Trabuco Canyon John Doe

Trabuco Canyon John Doe

The skeleton of a male between the ages of fifteen and nineteen was discovered alongside a stream in Trabuco Canyon, California on December 13, 1996, in an area that was "frequented by transients and illegal aliens." The subject was white with Hispanic characteristics and had reddish hair.^[27] Because of the state of his remains, his eye color could not be assessed. The male was at a height between five feet two and five feet eight inches tall and weighed between 130 and 160 pounds during his life. He had poor dental health, as there were some cavities and abscesses were observed along with other problems. The cause of the decedent's death has never been determined and he likely died between January 1995 and June 1996.^[28] With the remains, a large white tee shirt was found, along with "bikini" underwear in poor condition and an insole for a shoe. Wires believed to have been intended for electrical use were also found near the site, as well as an elastic cloth band and a "knotted cloth ligature."^[29]

Whittier John Doe

Whittier County John Doe

A man's body was found on December 30, 1997 in Whittier, Los Angeles County, California. He was white, between thirty and forty-five and was missing his left testicle, which may assist in finding his identity. He had dark hair, brown eyes and wore a beard and mustache. The man had also begun to lose his hair. He was five feet ten inches tall but was underweight, at 105 pounds. He wore a greenish nylon jacket, jeans, boots and a belt.^[30][31] Blankets had been placed over his body, although it is not known if they were owned by the man or if they were used to hide the body.^[32]

Rancho Palos Verdes John Doe

Rancho Palos Verdes John Doe

A man was found dead, sitting against a tree, on January 23, 2001 in Rancho Palos Verdes, Los Angeles County, California. The subject was a male of Caucasian descent and was between the ages of forty-five and fifty-six at the time he died, due to an unknown reason.^[33] It is speculated the man could have been a hiker. He was tall, at a height of six feet two inches, and he weighed 183 pounds. His eyes were blue and his hair was gray, which was consistent with his age estimation. The decedent's multiple tattoos included a bird, a lion wearing a crown, the name "Mike," and a sword with a crucifix. Along with a T-shirt, sweatshirt, tan pants, a vest, a belt, and blue shoes, he wore a watch, a ring and a necklace bearing a charm engraved with the name "Michael."^[34] The man also had a scar on one knee and had had an appendectomy.^[35]

Santa Monica Jane Doe (2005)

Santa Monica Jane Doe

The body of a woman was found on March 14, 2005 in Santa Monica, Los Angeles County, California. The exact cause of her death is not known, but is regarded as a possible suicide or accidental death. The woman was between thirty and forty-three when she was found floating in a body of water, not long after her death. She was possibly named "Martina," who was an immigrant from Germany or a nearby country, as she may have spoken in a heavy accent, and may have lived as a transient or may have been homeless. She was between five feet four to five feet six inches tall and weighed around 134 pounds. The woman's hair was a shoulder length brown with blond highlights. She had green eyes and had an amateurishly placed tattoo on her hand with the words "thank you" under a series of doodle-like symbols. She wore four rings, a plastic necklace, a chain with charms and white-colored metal earrings. The woman was fully clothed with jeans, a striped sweater and some shirts underneath. She did not wear shoes when she was found.^[36] The woman had two cysts on her left wrist.^[37]

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