The Torture and Murder of Otay Jane Doe, February 1978

On Tuesday, February 14, 1978, the remains of a recently deceased white female were found next to the pavement of Proctor Valley Rd in the rural area of Otay, San Diego County, CA, near the San Miguel Ranch area of Chula Vista. It is believed that Jane Doe had been deceased for about two days, though a newspaper at the time said 3-5 days. Combined, these ranges indicate that Jane Doe likely died anywhere between Thursday, February 9 to Sunday, February 12, 1978, inclusive.

While her COD is officially undetermined, she had a dangerous amount of Meperidine in her system, which was ruled the likely cause of her death. According to Google, Meperidine is an opioid used to treat moderate to severe pain, with a high risk for addiction and dependence. It can cause respiratory distress or even death when taken in high doses or when combined with other substances (like alcohol, heroin, cocaine, etc).

Jane Doe's wiki page states that, "Examiners noted facial injuries suggesting she was abused long term. There was bruising to the left cheek and her left eye was swollen shut." Other sources state that she had been tortured.

Jane Doe's remains had been set on fire after her death; most of the damage was located between the groin area and the right side of her chest. Her face, arms, and legs received minimal or no burn damage. Her face was recognizable, and two reconstructions are available on the aforementioned databases.

Artist rendering posted to NamUs.

Jane Doe was 14-18 years old, though Doe Network states that she was most likely under 16 years of age. She was estimated to be 5'1 and 88 lbs, though a contemporary newspaper article stated 88-105 lbs; a 2020 NBC 7 San Diego article states that she was about 90 lbs.

She had shoulder-length brown hair that was styled in a ponytail and tied with a rubber band. She possibly had brown eyes. Her ears were pierced, and her right ear was malformed and slightly smaller than her left ear. She had extensive dental work, including a root canal on the lower front right incisor, which was also cracked in half. Jane Doe was wearing a white shirt with a blue flower pattern, and blue denim overalls. Her shirt is variously described as a halter top or a long-sleeve midriff blouse. She was not wearing socks or shoes.

Jane Doe's dental records are available for comparison, while her fingerprints and DNA are not. She has zero MP exclusions on NamUs. Anyone with information should contact Kathy On of the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office at 858-694-2895 (according to NamUs) or (858) 694-2905 (according to NCMEC). The agency case number is 78-00338.

You may also contact the San Diego County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Detail at (858) 565-5200 (according to NamUs), (858) 868-3200 (according to NCMEC), or (858) 974-2321 (according to NBC 7 San Diego); the agency case number is 543957H.

The NCMEC, NCIC, and NamUs case numbers are 1184501, U719652692, and #UP16172, respectively.