The Murder of Placer County Jane Doe 1980, October 1980

Reconstruction. Photo from NamUs.

At about 9am on Thursday, October 30, 1980, a hiker discovered a badly decomposed body in a brush-covered field near the intersection of Colfax & Iowa Hill Rd.s in Colfax, Placer County, CA. Traffic on the Colfax-Iowa Hill Road was halted that morning while sheriff's investigators examined the scene, which was less than a mile west of the Iowa Hill Bridge.

It was determined that the body, which was that of a young woman, had been deceased for at least one year, and her estimated year of death is 1979. Her COD is undetermined, and there were no weapons or signs of violence at the scene, but her case is being investigated as a homicide. Investigators were unsure whether she died at the scene, which is a known dumping site for trash, or at a different location.

Jane Doe was estimated to be a white female, 18-27 years old; however, a newspaper article from the time stated that she was believed to be 18-22 years old. She was 5'0-5'5 tall and had brown hair with reddish/blond coloration. Due to the condition of her remains, her weight and eye color could not be determined. She was wearing dark blue Levi's jeans; a blue-ish multicolored halter top, size small; and blue Adidas tennis shoes with a white stripe, size 3.5. A blanket was also found near the scene, though a description of it is unavailable.

Jane Doe's dentals are available for comparison, while her fingerprints and DNA are not. She has two MP exclusions on NamUs: Jane Doe is not Connie Minchaca or Alma Root. There are photos of a sculpted reconstruction of the victim's face on official databases.

Side view of reconstruction. Photo from NamUs. 

Anyone with information regarding Jane Doe is urged to please contact the Placer County Sheriff's Office Coroner Division at 916-409-8253. The agency case number is 11923-80.

On May 2, 2025 I submitted Denise Dorfman and Placer County Jane Doe 1980 as a potential match on Doe Network to be forwarded to law enforcement. Mary Bell of DN responded, "Thank you for the suggested match. I don't show any comparison of these having been done so I will have our panel look at it. If [it] is proven to be a positive match, I will contact you further."

On June 13, 2025, I asked Mary Bell about the status of various matches that I had submitted to the Doe Network over the past year. Regarding Denise Dorfman and Jane Doe, Mary Bell stated, "inconsistent dental records, (NCIC only) distance and timing." 

Note: Jane Doe was found the day before Halloween, also known as All Hallows Eve. See the Holiday & Events Reference Page for an explanation as to why this is being mentioned. 

Sources

NamUs 

Doe Network

Auburn Journal 10/31/80 pt 1 & 2

Auburn Journal 11/4/80

Unidentified wiki