The Murder of Las Vegas Jane Doe, October 1979

On Sunday, October 21, 1979, a motorist became stranded in a rural area of Clark County, NV, somewhat near Las Vegas. There they discovered human remains "wrapped and bound in a sheet," lying partially in a culvert pipe on I-15 near mile marker 61, near Apex (a neighborhood of North Las Vegas).

The decedent's torso, as well as one or more limbs and one or more hands were not recovered. The remains were not recognizable due to being partial skeletal parts only. 

The decedent is believed to have died sometime in 1979. While the direct cause of death has not been released publicly, it is known that the decedent was the victim of a homicide. 

It was determined that the remains were those of a white female. Most sources state that Jane Doe was 17 to 35 years old; furthermore, her age group on NamUs is listed as "Adult - Pre 40." However, the Clark County Medical Examiner's Office profile regarding Jane Doe lists her estimated age as 17 to 18 years old. 

Jane Doe's height is estimated to be about 5'4, though the Doe Network states 5'3 to 5'5. Her weight was estimated at 127 lbs. Her hair was dark brown or black. Her eye color is unknown due to the condition of the remains. Any clothing, jewelry, or other items that may have been found with Jane Doe are unknown according to the Doe Network.

Jane Doe's dental records or x-rays are available for comparison, while her fingerprints are not. According to the Doe Network, her mtDNA is available in NDIS. She has four MP exclusions on NamUs, including Denise Oliverson and Laurie Smith.

Jane Doe's NamUs case, #UP391, was created and last updated on June 29, 2007 and September 23, 2025, respectively.

Anyone with information regarding Jane Doe's identity or death is urged to contact the Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner at (702) 455-3210. The agency case number is 79-01241. Those with information may also contact the Las Vegas Metropolitan PD at (702) 828-2907 or missingpersonscoldcase@LVMPD.com, agency case number 79-70953. Any little piece of information counts. 

Sources

NamUs

Doe Network

WebSleuths

Unidentified wiki

Clark County Coroner, archived 

Note: I could not find any contemporary newspaper clippings regarding Jane Doe.

Further Note: I regularly revisit cases, fix any typos or formatting errors, check for updates, hyperlink new posts, ensure that I have exhausted all sources, etc. This write-up was last updated on September 28, 2025.