CA CA - Placer Co., WhtFem UP17572, 18-27, found in the area of Colfax and Iowa Hill Road, Oct'80

[GJKJR]

DoeNetwork Profile:
As far as I know, there is no DoeNetwork profile for this Jane Doe.

NamUs Profile:
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Sex: Female
Race/Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
Age Range (estimated): 18-27 y/o
Estimated Year of Death (PMI): 1979 (approx. 1 year)
Height: 5'0" (60 inches) to 5'5" (65 inches)
Weight: Unknown
Date Found: October 30, 1980
Location Found: Colfax-Iowa Hill Road, Placer County, California
Circumstances: This unidentified female was found in the area of Colfax and Iowa Hill Road in Placer County.
Near complete or complete skeleton, all parts recovered
Hair: Brown (Though could be red/auburn, brown, or blonde: "Color was reddish/brown/blonde.")
Eye Color: Unknown due to decomposition
Clothes: Blue Levi's jeans, a blue-ish, multicolored halter top size small, Blue Adidas tennis shoes with a white stripe, size 3.5.

Reconstructions:

 

[GJKJR]

So, from my searches on NamUs, I found 2 potential matches for our Jane Doe.

Nellie Florence Flickinger
Missing since March 1, 1979 from Erie, Pennsylvania. She was only back in Erie (From Arizona) for a short while. When she left, she said she was going to California.
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

ETA - Wow, the side view images of Nellie and our Jane Doe, particularly the chin (I overlayed them and they look nearly identical), look very alike to me.

Vicki Martinez
Missing since October 14, 1979 from San Antonio, Texas. Vicki Martinez was last seen in San Antonio, TX on October 14, 1979.
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

I'm not too sure on Martinez being our Jane Doe, but I feel that most of the demographics match quite closely and there is not enough information on her disappearance to get a decent idea of what could have happened to her.

 

[GJKJR]

I submitted Nellie Florence Flickinger as a potential match for our Jane Doe through E-mail.

 

[Mrs. Badcrumble]

How about Julie Elizabeth Soracco? She disappeared from the neighbouring county, El Dorado County, in 1977. A bit off on the date, but as NamUs states:

The DLC is unknown and approximated.

From the Charley Project:

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• 
• 
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Julie, circa 1977

• Missing Since 08/01/1977
• Missing From Placerville, California
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Date of Birth 07/06/1962 (57)
• Age 15 - 16 years old
• Height and Weight 5'2 - 5'4, 120 - 130 pounds
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair, brown eyes. Julie's ears are pierced.

Details of Disappearance
The circumstances of Julie's disappearance are very unclear; even the date is unknown. She was last seen sometime in 1977 or 1978. She attended El Dorado High school at the time of her disappearance.

According to what her family knows, Julie had lived in Sacramento, California with her mother and sisters, then went to live with her grandfather in Placerville, California. After some time, she was placed in foster care and lived with a couple called Aldea. She may have disappeared while walking from her foster family's home to her grandfather's home.

It's unclear whether a missing persons report was filed at the time, and Julie's grandfather did not want her case to be publicized. Her disappearance was rarely discussed within her family. Julie was reported missing in July 2019, over forty years after she was last seen. The circumstances of her disappearance are unclear.

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Due to the silence in her family, Julie wasn't reported missing until just recently, then by her half-sister, who was only a young child at the time Julie went missing, so no wonder the date is estimated. The memories too can be a bit hazy.

I am reminded of Judy Gifford's case, who was recently identified as a then recently deceased Jane Doe found in 1976, despite being reported going missing in 1974. Turns out the DLC was estimated, since she was reported missing recently by her little brother, who was a young child himself when Judy went missing.

Julie Elizabeth Soracco's WS thread:
CA - CA - Julie Elizabeth Soracco, 15, Placerville, 1 Aug 1977

 

[GJKJR]

How about Julie Elizabeth Soracco? She disappeared from the neighbouring county, El Dorado County, in 1977. A bit off on the date, but as NamUs states:

From the Charley Project:

• 
• 
• 
• 

Julie, circa 1977

• Missing Since 08/01/1977
• Missing From Placerville, California
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Date of Birth 07/06/1962 (57)
• Age 15 - 16 years old
• Height and Weight 5'2 - 5'4, 120 - 130 pounds
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair, brown eyes. Julie's ears are pierced.

Details of Disappearance
The circumstances of Julie's disappearance are very unclear; even the date is unknown. She was last seen sometime in 1977 or 1978. She attended El Dorado High school at the time of her disappearance.

According to what her family knows, Julie had lived in Sacramento, California with her mother and sisters, then went to live with her grandfather in Placerville, California. After some time, she was placed in foster care and lived with a couple called Aldea. She may have disappeared while walking from her foster family's home to her grandfather's home.

It's unclear whether a missing persons report was filed at the time, and Julie's grandfather did not want her case to be publicized. Her disappearance was rarely discussed within her family. Julie was reported missing in July 2019, over forty years after she was last seen. The circumstances of her disappearance are unclear.

----------------------

Due to the silence in her family, Julie wasn't reported missing until just recently, then by her half-sister, who was only a young child at the time Julie went missing, so no wonder the date is estimated. The memories too can be a bit hazy.

I am reminded of Judy Gifford's case, who was recently identified as a then recently deceased Jane Doe found in 1976, despite being reported going missing in 1974. Turns out the DLC was estimated, since she was reported missing recently by her little brother, who was a young child himself when Judy went missing.

Julie Elizabeth Soracco's WS thread:
CA - CA - Julie Elizabeth Soracco, 15, Placerville, 1 Aug 1977

Wow, I'm surprised Soracco's case didn't pop up when I searched for possible matches for Jane Doe! The location and timing make sense (although the date missing, 1977 or 1978, is a bit earlier than the PMI but still within reason). Also a bit younger than the age estimation, but that doesn't rule her out. I would definitely submit this to LE.

 

[Mrs. Badcrumble]

Wow, I'm surprised Soracco's case didn't pop up when I searched for possible matches for Jane Doe! The location and timing make sense (although the date missing, 1977 or 1978, is a bit earlier than the PMI but still within reason). Also a bit younger than the age estimation, but that doesn't rule her out. I would definitely submit this to LE.

Yes, I wouldn't be too put off by the discrepancies, especially when Soracco's NamUs states her "DLC is unknown and approximated" and basically based on a 40+ year old memory of a (then) young child.

I've tried to find an email address to submit the tip, but can only seem to find phone numbers (I'm located over the pond), so feel free to submit Soracco

 

[GJKJR]

Yes, I wouldn't be too put off by the discrepancies, especially when Soracco's NamUs states her "DLC is unknown and approximated" and basically based on a 40+ year old memory of a (then) young child.

I've tried to find an email address to submit the tip, but can only seem to find phone numbers (I'm located over the pond), so feel free to submit Soracco

I had trouble finding an E-mail too! I just e-mailed the Placer County Sheriff's Office with the original potential matches I found, though I got no response (that was a few months ago), so I guess that wouldn't be a good way. I'll try to call them ASAP in order to submit Soracco as a potential match.

 

[Suglo]

Bump!

 

[Bit of hope]

I wish we had some dental information. They didn't mention childbirth, so for now I'm going with "no children".

There are no previous broken or damaged bones mentioned, so I think Nelly Flickinger is a rule out based on that. She was injured in a motorcycle accident in the mid-1960s and had to have screws and/or plates implanted into one of her legs as a result.

I'm not familiair with the climate in CA. A question: can we pin down the approx. time of year she was killed based on the clothes she was wearing? (I know, she could have been killed inside and dumped there)

Soracco's case is interesting.

There are some other women/girls missing from the area or fitting in the time frame, missing from California, but their height is way off or other things don't add up, IMO
Kimberly Ann Stewart – The Charley Project 5'9
739DFCA - Adrianne Gilliam Adrianne Gillian 5'8
The Doe Network: Case File 1191DFCA Lucinda Schaefer, 16 in 1979

Possible
870DFCA - Debra Lynn Kidwell Debra Kidwell, 26 yrs when missing 1979 from Ventura CA

 

[GJKJR]

I wish we had some dental information. They didn't mention childbirth, so for now I'm going with "no children".

There are no previous broken or damaged bones mentioned, so I think Nelly Flickinger is a rule out based on that. She was injured in a motorcycle accident in the mid-1960s and had to have screws and/or plates implanted into one of her legs as a result.

I'm not familiair with the climate in CA. A question: can we pin down the approx. time of year she was killed based on the clothes she was wearing? (I know, she could have been killed inside and dumped there)

Soracco's case is interesting.

There are some other women/girls missing from the area or fitting in the time frame, missing from California, but their height is way off or other things don't add up, IMO
Kimberly Ann Stewart – The Charley Project 5'9
739DFCA - Adrianne Gilliam Adrianne Gillian 5'8
The Doe Network: Case File 1191DFCA Lucinda Schaefer, 16 in 1979

Possible
870DFCA - Debra Lynn Kidwell Debra Kidwell, 26 yrs when missing 1979 from Ventura CA

I don't know how I didn't notice that Flickinger had those leg implements. That would probably rule her out.

I don't know how the weather is in that part of CA either (you know, being on the other side of the country), but the halter top sounds like summer wear. That's the only thing I can really get from the clothing information.

I think Debra Lynn Kidwell is a pretty good possible, along with Soracco. Kidwell looks like a decent match to the NamUs reconstruction at a quick glance, though I don't know how much stock I put into the reconstruction. Maybe it's just me, but I've never had too much faith in reconstructions like the one this Jane Doe has.

 

[Bit of hope]

I don't know how I didn't notice that Flickinger had those leg implements. That would probably rule her out.

I don't know how the weather is in that part of CA either (you know, being on the other side of the country), but the halter top sounds like summer wear. That's the only thing I can really get from the clothing information.

I think Debra Lynn Kidwell is a pretty good possible, along with Soracco. Kidwell looks like a decent match to the NamUs reconstruction at a quick glance, though I don't know how much stock I put into the reconstruction. Maybe it's just me, but I've never had too much faith in reconstructions like the one this Jane Doe has.

Actually I don't have the ultimate believe in the reconstructions at all. They are made to show the typical facial traits, the thing a family member or people that knows this person would recognize...not a stranger....not even a stranger with very, very good eyes....so the story, stats etc. are all very important things to take into account, searching for a match....

And additional the face of a death person can trow you so very much off...The recons are most of all "to beautiful"...

 

[GJKJR]

Actually I don't have the ultimate believe in the reconstructions at all. They are made to show the typical facial traits, the thing a family member or people that knows this person would recognize...not a stranger....not even a stranger with very, very good eyes....so the story, stats etc. are all very important things to take into account, searching for a match....

And additional the face of a death person can trow you so very much off...The recons are most of all "to beautiful"...

Yeah, a lot of reconstructions emphasize features, some to the degree where a stranger probably wouldn't see the resemblance, but someone who knows them might (e.g. Jenny Gamez's facial reconstruction when she was still unidentified looked extremely... eerie, but it was still recognizable to family).

In this case, I think these clay/bust reconstructions don't have my faith because I've seen a fair few cases where they were very, very far off, or look so generic that hardly anyone could recognize them as any one person (there was one for Ms. Wiggins Doe where the bust was completely bald, and that one struck me as very odd in particular).

 

[Suglo]

I don't know how I didn't notice that Flickinger had those leg implements. That would probably rule her out.

I don't know how the weather is in that part of CA either (you know, being on the other side of the country), but the halter top sounds like summer wear. That's the only thing I can really get from the clothing information.

I think Debra Lynn Kidwell is a pretty good possible, along with Soracco. Kidwell looks like a decent match to the NamUs reconstruction at a quick glance, though I don't know how much stock I put into the reconstruction. Maybe it's just me, but I've never had too much faith in reconstructions like the one this Jane Doe has.

The summer time temps regularly hit the high 90s/low 100s during the day and then cool down to the mid to high 50s at night. Much colder in the winter with snow at times. The halter top is definitely indicative of any time between late April and early October.

 

[Gourami Watcher]

Clipping from the 11/4/80 release from Auburn Journal. The article clarifies additional details about the case, including the fact it's being investigated as a murder.

**Please note: the sheriff's office phone number has since been changed to 530-889-7800

Clipping from Auburn Journal - Newspapers.com

 

[sonz82]

She has been added to the doe network

1522UFCA

 

[digitective]

Clothes: Blue Levi's jeans, a blue-ish, multicolored halter top size small, Blue Adidas tennis shoes with a white stripe, size 3.5.

Unless shoe sizes were different back then, I'm assuming she was wearing children's shoes in size 3.5, which equate to about a 5.5 in women's sizing. Still quite small feet for an adult.

 

[Bit of hope]

Unless shoe sizes were different back then, I'm assuming she was wearing children's shoes in size 3.5, which equate to about a 5.5 in women's sizing. Still quite small feet for an adult.

I agree, in Europe the Adidas shoe of 5.5. would be 36 1/3 quite small indeed.

 

[Bit of hope]

Could she have been from the UK? 3.5 is a UK woman size according to this chard

 

[Bit of hope]

I read somewhere that real red hair is quite rare and people who have it are most likely from North European decent.

 

[Bit of hope]

Are there any rule outs for this Jane Doe?