NV NV - Pershing Co, 'Valerie Doe' WhtFem 25-50, UP7635, in desert, May'91

[Claudette]

Thanks - a lot of people over the years have had the same reaction as me. I am positive this is a match. Hopefully she is identified soon.

 

[believe09]

Date Found: March 26, 1991
Location: Black Rock Desert (Pershing County) 11.1 miles north of Gerlach off Hwy. 34

Description: Jane Doe (unidentified), female white, 5-1 to 5-3, brown hair, thin build, 25 to mid-fifties (one anthropologist estimated age from 25-35). The victim had been attired in Kikku brand jeans (size 30), a black blouse, dark blue camisole, and dark socks.

Details: A piece of jewelry had the inscription "Valerie" possibly indicating the victim's first name. She had been shot to death. One piece of jewelry found on the victim was a gold colored bracelet with a pattern of a Dragon inlaid in a sea shell type material.

http://www.8newsnow.com/story/13992...icides-and-unidentified-missing-persons-cases

LAS VEGAS -- The Nevada Department of Public Safety and the Nevada Threat Analysis Center is looking for information on unsolved Nevada female homicides and missing person cases found in the rural counties.

 

[believe09]

On a bi-monthly basis, Nevada authorities will be releasing information on their unsolved homicides/UID's. This is a chance for us to make an impact and help this embattled LE restore these women to their families, and to perhaps obtain some justice for them.

 

[carbuff]

NAMUS entry, including a sketch: https://identifyus.org/cases/7635

Valerie Larkin, missing since 1985 from Needles CA, is the only name on the ruleout list.

The location where the UID was found is way the hell out in the middle of nowhere: Approx. 11 miles North of Gerlach NV

 

[webrocket]

I thought this sounded familiar.

there is already a thread for this UID:

http://websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18490&highlight=valerie

 

[carbuff]

Some information from Porchlight, including a quoted memo from Mr. Van Norman about the Larkin match. Since Larkin is now listed as a ruleout, I would guess the DNA match came back negative.

Guess it would help if I included the link...

http://s10.invisionfree.com/usedtobedoe/index.php?showtopic=38918

 

[carbuff]

Post from "Can You Identify Me" -- http://canyouidentifyme.blogspot.com/2007/09/valerie-doe-sea-serpent-with-abalone.html

One of the comments to this article points out that it's a Chinese dragon, not a sea serpent.

 

[carbuff]

Theresa Ann Wallace went missing from Illinois about nine months before the UID was found. http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/w/wallace_theresa.html Wallace had some mental disability as a result of an auto accident; in this article (http://s10.invisionfree.com/usedtobedoe/index.php?showtopic=26692) her sister says that anyone who approached Wallace as a friend could convince her to do anything.

What caught my attention was the nose and chin.

 

[believe09]

I asked for a better reconstruction and shared the possibility that the bracelet was a dragon, not a sea monster. I also requested that they pin down the age a little....fwiw.

 

[carbuff]

Another possibility: http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/364dfca.html

Cheree Hankins is listed as missing from Santa Barbara, but was last seen in the Burlington VT airport in January 1990 -- so enough time to be taken to the remote part of Nevada. She was 45 when last seen, which is in range. 5'2" and 100 pounds, so that fits.

Facially? I'm not sure.

 

[Ambercat]

I was looking at her "Valerie" bracelet and was wondering if it could be an heirloom; thus, Valerie is not the name of the woman in Pershing County, but maybe her mother, grandmother, or another female relative? If we knew a little more about the bracelet, that might help (what is it made out of and how old is it?).

 

[SouthWestHiker]

I was looking at her "Valerie" bracelet and was wondering if it could be an heirloom; thus, Valerie is not the name of the woman in Pershing County, but maybe her mother, grandmother, or another female relative? If we knew a little more about the bracelet, that might help (what is it made out of and how old is it?).

I was thinking the same... the two pieces of jewelry have very different styles.

 

[Ambercat]

NAMUS entry, including a sketch: https://identifyus.org/cases/7635

Valerie Larkin, missing since 1985 from Needles CA, is the only name on the ruleout list.

The location where the UID was found is way the hell out in the middle of nowhere: Approx. 11 miles North of Gerlach NV

After looking at that map, it occurred to me that the person responsible for her disappearance must have been very familiar with the area to drive that far from the interstate into the middle of nowhere. I wonder if the roads were accessible year round or were seasonal? Is this near where the Burning Man takes place? Did they even do Burning Man back when she died?

 

[Donjeta]

https://identifyus.org/cases/7635

The following people have been ruled out as being this decedent:
First Name Last Name Year Of Birth State LKA
Valerie Larkin 1947 California
Patricia Schmidt 1964 Virginia

https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/2656/1/
Valerie Larkin's page

 

[Ambercat]

Recently, I noticed two missing women who reminded me of Valerie Doe. Both have consistent heights, weights, and ages to the UID.

Birdie Leonard disappeared from Coleman, TX on September 11, 1985.

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/8555/15

Christine Sexton disappeared from Turlock, CA on April 17, 1989. Turlock isn't actually that far from Gerlach, NV where Valerie was found (considering Gerlach is sort of in the middle of nowhere).

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/1252/53

 

[Ambercat]

Valerie Smith was recently added as a missing person. In several of the photos of her on NamUs, she appears to be wearing a lot of jewelry and she is a smaller woman like the UID.

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/20265/0

 

[zwiebel]

Interestingly, Valerie Smith seems to be wearing a necklace in one pic that has the name Valerie written in the same script style as Jane Doe's bracelet, and a necklace in another that could be similar to Jane Doe's dragon bracelet.?

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/20265/0

 

[Sleuthster]

In this image of Valerie Smith, she has a bracelet on her wrist. I don't know how to blow it up and post it on here if anyone wants to look. https://www.findthemissing.org/en/photos/full/36056

 

[carbuff]

In this image of Valerie Smith, she has a bracelet on her wrist. I don't know how to blow it up and post it on here if anyone wants to look. https://www.findthemissing.org/en/photos/full/36056

This is the best I could get with what I have. Click on the attachment to blow it up.

It does look very very similar but I think the links are different. The one the UID was wearing does not look like an expensive one.

Also, the last photo in her Namus images shows her in a showgirl outfit, which makes it seem like she might have headed to Las Vegas or California.

 

[Claudette]

This is the best I could get with what I have. Click on the attachment to blow it up.

It does look very very similar but I think the links are different. The one the UID was wearing does not look like an expensive one.

Also, the last photo in her Namus images shows her in a showgirl outfit, which makes it seem like she might have headed to Las Vegas or California.

I think that's a tap dance photo (see the shoes). I did tap and ballet in the 90s and had similar outfits.