Maury County Jane Doe
Clothing found with the Maury County Jane Doe
On February 14, 1975, the virtually skeletonized remains of a black woman between the ages of 15 and 25 years were discovered in
Maury County, Tennessee. Her body was found near a highway, leading investigators to believe that she may not have been a native of Tennessee.
An examination of the decedent's body indicated she most likely died six to nine months prior to the discovery of her body, thus making the most likely time of her death in the spring or summer of 1974. She was 5 feet 3 inches to 5 feet 5 inches in height and weighed between 127 and 137 pounds. She wore a red top decorated with a seashell design, blue pants with a floral design, undergarments, and
wedgie shoes. Her hair was black and kinky; her eye color could not be determined. Her autopsy also noted a distinctive dental trait: she had an extra tooth in her upper jaw.
[152] The victim had received several bone fractures during her life; two of which were fully healed at the time of her death. The unhealed fractures of the decedent were found in her pelvis and ribs.
[153]
It is possible the decedent was either the victim of a car accident or had been intentionally run down by a car, as her unhealed bone injuries and the location of her body suggest.
[154] The remains of a young dog were also found near her body, but it is not known if she owned the animal.
[155]
The skull of Maury County Jane Doe was reconstructed by the
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 2012.
[156]
The DNA Doe Project was asked to assist with her identification in September 2020.
