CA CA - Nipton, WhtFem 18-25, 778UFCA, GSW, in mine shaft, May'76

[carbuff]

That is rather curious.
It says: "Clad in shorts and blue halter top"
In comparison, NamUs says it is a blue and white "bathing-suit".
I thought it odd since there is not exactly many places to go swimming in the middle of the desert, and it does not strike me as a place to sunbathe.

Perhaps it is a style of bikini?
Bikini's, some at least, back in the days looked a bit more like "short shorts" and "halter tops" up top.

Still, not feeling very certain about this.

In my opinion, either description of the most likely style is accurate. In the 1970's we had what was called a "two-piece suit" that was NOT a bikini. Most emphatically not. Good girls wore two-piece suits. Fast girls, including girls from California, wore bikinis.

I'm just joking But there was a certain style that was more like a short set you could wear in the water or look good romping in the shallow waves, but wasn't really for swimming. It was more summer casual wear.

I think this is a recent design based on retro styles, but it looks a lot like one I owned in 1973 or thereabouts. (click to enlarge)



I've always wondered if this woman had been at a picnic or pool party, or at a motel with a pool, or something like that before she was killed.

 

[Mireille]

In my opinion, either description of the most likely style is accurate. In the 1970's we had what was called a "two-piece suit" that was NOT a bikini. Most emphatically not. Good girls wore two-piece suits. Fast girls, including girls from California, wore bikinis.

I'm just joking But there was a certain style that was more like a short set you could wear in the water or look good romping in the shallow waves, but wasn't really for swimming. It was more summer casual wear.

I think this is a recent design based on retro styles, but it looks a lot like one I owned in 1973 or thereabouts. (click to enlarge)

View attachment 293132

I've always wondered if this woman had been at a picnic or pool party, or at a motel with a pool, or something like that before she was killed.

Yeah, I was wondering if there was any hotels nearby or anything. Since it would make sense for a hotel to have a pool, especially in such a warm area of the world. I doubt there are any beaches.

That was the exact style I was thinking of btw! lol I just had no idea what it was called. I mean, driving from the coast to that spot had to take hours. Many hours. It is not that far from Las Vegas though, less than an hour.

 

[Paul B.]

Bikini Doe was certain hidden by him in a way to never be found.

 

[Adrian_Almost_Sleuth]

Was this a mine shaft that was inspected or checked on regularly? because she wasn't anywhere near the decomposition stage.

 

[Mireille]

Was this a mine shaft that was inspected or checked on regularly? because she wasn't anywhere near the decomposition stage.

She was found by a family that was out hiking and happened to find her. It was in an article clipping that madmcgoo posted before. Will check when I get back on the computer

 

[Bit of hope]

Yeah, I was wondering if there was any hotels nearby or anything. Since it would make sense for a hotel to have a pool, especially in such a warm area of the world. I doubt there are any beaches.

That was the exact style I was thinking of btw! lol I just had no idea what it was called. I mean, driving from the coast to that spot had to take hours. Many hours. It is not that far from Las Vegas though, less than an hour.

I wasn't thinking of this case at the time, but Nipton Rd. would be the first turnoff after leaving the Whiskey Petes Casino toward California, and the last turnoff before starting a very long steep incline into the higher California desert. Back then, this was the only casino in the area.

On the first page CarlK90245 posted some pictures of the surroundings and also the above.

There was first a service station 'State Line' that was sold a couple of times until the location was eventually developed into the casino in 1977 (according this article.) https://www.thedeadhistory.com/the-ghost-of-whiskey-pete/

It's also a funny read about the person Whiskey Pete himself, who BTW already died in 1933. He had the first service station at the location far before the Casino was built and was also a moonshiner who used the caves to make whiskey.

Jane Doe was found in 1976. I wonder is there was aready a place where you could stay overnight and there was a swimming pool?

edit to add - found the answer to my own question

I found some additional information about the history of the place:

Dale Hamilton owned State Line from the early 1950s to the early 1970s as U.S. 91 was upgraded to Interstate 15. After he bought the property, he built a Chevron station, a building containing a small slots casino and a small cafe-lunch counter. He also built a small automotive garage and a towing service. He called the business simply "State Line Bar:Slots". Hamilton also campaigned legislators in Carson City to grant an Interstate 15 interchange to the site, which was not originally planned.
Primm, Nevada - Wikipedia

As of today the casino/hotel has a pool.

https://www.google.com/travel/hotels/Primm, Nevada/entity/CgsIx6rYlNHWhd-_ARAB?g2lb=2502548,2503781,4258168,4270442,4306835,4317915,4328159,4371335,4401769,4419364,4482438,4486153,4488304,4491350,4509341,4515404,4517258,4519290,4530346,4533881,4536454,4270859,4284970,4291517&hl=nl-NL&gl=nl&ssta=1&ap=aAE&q=whiskey pete's casino and hotel&rp=EMeq2JTR1oXfvwEQ8Peek4Pm1dFoEJm03sObk667QBDe2b7_otWs-O8BOAFAAEgCogEvV2hpc2tleSBQZXRlJ3MgSG90ZWwgJiBDYXNpbm8sIDEwMCBXIFByaW1tIEJsdmTAAQPIAQA&ictx=1&ved=0CAAQ5JsGahcKEwjoiaWKtYfwAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAg&utm_campaign=sharing&utm_medium=link&utm_source=htls&ts=CAESABogCgIaABIaEhQKBwjlDxAEGBMSBwjlDxAEGBQYATICEAAqDQoJSgIgAToDRVVSGgA

 

[Alleykins]

If she had insufficient DNA to profile back then, I wonder if they had a sample that wasn't good enough at the time, but might be now. Even some hair. Does anyone know if they kept any of her remains, like teeth, bone or hair, which may be used to attempt another DNA sample?

 

[Bit of hope]

If she had insufficient DNA to profile back then, I wonder if they had a sample that wasn't good enough at the time, but might be now. Even some hair. Does anyone know if they kept any of her remains, like teeth, bone or hair, which may be used to attempt another DNA sample?

I wish I knew. Didn't they cremated UID remains in those days in CA? Maybe there is still something kept somewhere on a dusty shelf, but to be honest I doubt it. It seems like they tested with the DNA they had, so they had to be a certain amount at first, maybe there is a tiny little bit left to be enough today. Record broken by Othram just the other day.

 

[Alleykins]

I wish I knew. Didn't they cremated UID remains in those days in CA? Maybe there is still something kept somewhere on a dusty shelf, but to be honest I doubt it. It seems like they tested with the DNA they had, so they had to be a certain amount at first, maybe there is a tiny little bit left to be enough today. Record broken by Othram just the other day.

Even a strand or two of hair might work.

 

[Bit of hope]

@CarlK90245 I've seen you are on line...do you know more?

 

[CarlK90245]

Los Angeles County has always cremated unidentified and indigent remains. San Bernardino County doesn't usually cremate remains. IDK what they did with this case, but my understanding is that they ordinarily bury their Does.

 

[Alleykins]

Maybe it's a relatively new SOP for unidentified remains, but this article states San Bernardino does cremate them, if I'm reading this correctly.

When their leads run out, often after months of work, San Bernardino officials cremate the body and store the remains for about a year, then bury them in a collective grave in a county cemetery, Emon said.

Coroner Launches Internet Site on Unclaimed Bodies

Here's hoping they kept something they can use, heavy sigh.

 

[cvaldez1975]

This woman always stymied me. She doesn’t seem to be an addict. She’s well nourished. Someone has to miss her. I know isotopes aren’t reliable but were they ever done? Probably not as they didn’t even have sufficient DNA.

 

[cherryzard]

Hello everyone, bumping here for this Doe.

What I have to bring to the table for this case are solely theories, so feel free to not take them seriously.

I really wonder if it was not a motel or casino she was staying at but maybe a private pool, like maybe her own pool or someone else's on a party, or someone she barely knew lured her in the house the house or property the person owned. Maybe the person told her it was only them having a "good time" while chatting and having drinks on the pool, but then the person might have tried to sexually assault her or tried to make her do something she did not want and tried to run away, since this person owned a gun, then the person shot her on the back as she ran away (she had gunshots on the back), then dumped her on the area.

Or maybe this doe was someone significant in the life of someone, maybe like a girlfriend or a wife, of someone that was involved in illegal activities and tried to get the boyfriend or husband to feel the pain by killing her whilst they invaded the home, which had a pool, but since he did not want to draw attention to the police for his own sake or because those people told them to he kept quiet and did not accuse anyone of the murder of his girlfriend or wife.

Something that drew my attention was that that mine shaft was somewhere VERY specific, which leads me to believe her killer was not unfamiliar with the area, maybe he worked there once but assumed the area would not draw any sort of attention so he dumped her there. I am thinking someone involved in mines or railways.

This is just what I think, I hope I could somehow help.

 

[Bit of hope]

Hello everyone, bumping here for this Doe.

What I have to bring to the table for this case are solely theories, so feel free to not take them seriously.

I really wonder if it was not a motel or casino she was staying at but maybe a private pool, like maybe her own pool or someone else's on a party, or someone she barely knew lured her in the house the house or property the person owned. Maybe the person told her it was only them having a "good time" while chatting and having drinks on the pool, but then the person might have tried to sexually assault her or tried to make her do something she did not want and tried to run away, since this person owned a gun, then the person shot her on the back as she ran away (she had gunshots on the back), then dumped her on the area.

Or maybe this doe was someone significant in the life of someone, maybe like a girlfriend or a wife, of someone that was involved in illegal activities and tried to get the boyfriend or husband to feel the pain by killing her whilst they invaded the home, which had a pool, but since he did not want to draw attention to the police for his own sake or because those people told them to he kept quiet and did not accuse anyone of the murder of his girlfriend or wife.

Something that drew my attention was that that mine shaft was somewhere VERY specific, which leads me to believe her killer was not unfamiliar with the area, maybe he worked there once but assumed the area would not draw any sort of attention so he dumped her there. I am thinking someone involved in mines or railways.

This is just what I think, I hope I could somehow help.

Hello and welcome @cherryzard

 

[cherryzard]

Hello and welcome @cherryzard

Thank you for the warm welcome! @Bit of hope

 

[Tired Professor]

I lean towards this being a domestic dispute turned killing. Something that I have been wondering for awhile…Could she have been a follower of Curtis Howe Springer and living at Zyzzx? I had dismissed it before when I read that he and his followers were evicted from there in 1974 but recently I read that they were actually evicted from the property in 1976 which might still leave that as a possibility if that’s the case. Any thoughts?

 

[Bit of hope]

I lean towards this being a domestic dispute turned killing. Something that I have been wondering for awhile…Could she have been a follower of Curtis Howe Springer and living at Zyzzx? I had dismissed it before when I read that he and his followers were evicted from there in 1974 but recently I read that they were actually evicted from the property in 1976 which might still leave that as a possibility if that’s the case. Any thoughts?

I really don't have a clue...

 

[killer Chaser]

We could probably thank the Mormons for this.

Los Angeles County has always cremated unidentified and indigent remains. San Bernardino County doesn't usually cremate remains. IDK what they did with this case, but my understanding is that they ordinarily bury their Does.

 

[Bit of hope]

I lean towards this being a domestic dispute turned killing. Something that I have been wondering for awhile…Could she have been a follower of Curtis Howe Springer and living at Zyzzx? I had dismissed it before when I read that he and his followers were evicted from there in 1974 but recently I read that they were actually evicted from the property in 1976 which might still leave that as a possibility if that’s the case. Any thoughts?

Some thoughts/notes:
As far as I understood the I-15 was the main route connecting Los Angeles with Las Vegas. She could have been dumped en route from/to and places in between. Zzyzx to Nipton (I don't know the precise coordinates of the place she was found) is approx. a 1,15 hours drive.

The main thing that makes me pause is her clothing. NO shoes!! Depending on what she was actually wearing, bathing combination/suit or shorts with shirt, (there are different reports) I'm still not sure.

It doesn't seem to me something to wear when you are hitchhiking, but I could be wrong. Zzyzx had a health spa and heated pools.Could explain the bathing suit and no shoes.....but it's a longer drive (around 60 miles) to where she was dumped. Do we know she was shot somewhere else and dumped there, or was she shot in the mine shaft?

There are different reports on the year it was evicted or text can be subject to misinterpretation.

Curtis Howe Springer - Wikipedia How many ways are there to spell it????

f.i. Following the eviction, in 1976, the Bureau of Land Management allowed the California State University to manage the facilities, etc. You can read it in two ways. It could mean the eviction was in 1976 or it could mean they evicted it in 1974 and two years later the facilities were occupied again. I tried to find out in what year Springer moved to Las Vegas, but couldn't find that as an indication when it was all "wrapped up".

As far as we know she was not sexual assaulted and then shot. She was shot. Makes me think this was not an at random act, picking up a hitchhiker along the route, but more "close to home", both location wise and relations wise. Off course I could be totally wrong.