Finley Creek Jane Doe is the name given to a pregnant homicide victim whose remains were discovered at Finley Creek Cow Camp in August of 1978. She has remained unidentified for over 40 years, but her case has gained lots of media attention as web sleuths and investigators reopen her case.
At about 7am on August 27, 1978, two hunters were visiting the Finley Creek Cow Camp near Union County, Oregon when they came across a skull protruding out of a shallow grave. More skeletal remains were found scattered nearby the grave. As investigators began collecting evidence from the scene, they noted that there were also smaller bones along with the remains.
The medical examiner determined that the skeletal remains belonged to a woman who was estimated to be between 6-8 months pregnant, which accounted for the smaller fetal remains found. The woman was determined to be white with light brown or blonde hair, standing between 5’1”- 5’3”, and weighing about 115-125 lbs. She was estimated to be between 17-25 years old. It was also noted that the woman received extensive dental work during her life, which included several fillings and multiple extractions. Some articles of clothing were found near the woman’s remains as well, which included: red “Catalina” brand size 15/16 pants, ankle-high lace up shoes, and a white halter top with flower patterns.
Throughout the 80s and 90s, several tips were given to investigators about Finely Creek Jane Doe’s possible identification. However, these were all ruled out or didn’t hold strong leads. Despite having no confirmed identification, the case was considered closed in 1990 and the Union County DA Russ West ordered that the evidence and remains be destroyed. Jane Doe and her unborn child’s remains were then sent to a crematorium in Walla Walla, Washington and cremated, which are now considered lost.
Despite the remains being destroyed, in 2019 the original medical examiner behind the case, Dr. Nici Vance, teamed up with members of the Finley Creek Jane Doe Task Force to create a facial reconstruction. On May 5, 2020, a forensic facial reconstruction of Jane Doe was released to the public.
In 2022, a woman from Walla Walla, Washington named Suzanne Timms came forward after suspecting that the Jane Doe may be her missing mother Patricia “Patty” Otto. Suzanne came across the facial reconstruction of Finley Creek Jane Doe on FaceBook, taken aback by how much it resembled herself. She then became convinced that the Jane Doe could be her mother who went missing in 1976 when she was 3 years old. She stated that she remembers her mother wearing the same clothes that was found near the Jane Doe the last time she saw her. Unfortunately, Patricia Otto was also ruled out as the Jane Doe, leading investigators back to square one. Suzanne Timms continues to investigate her mother’s disappearance and find out what happened to her.
Although much time has passed and the evidence and remains are considered lost, there is still a chance to find out who was the Finley Creek Jane Doe and what could have happened to her and her unborn child.
Resources-
https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Finley_Creek_Jane_Doe
