The Murder of Las Vegas Jane Doe, October 1979

Note: While this write-up was originally published on July 29, 2025, I regularly revisit cases, check for updates, ensure that I have exhausted all sources, etc., and then make note of when I last did so, no matter how minor. When updates are extensive or significant, I re-post the write-up entirely. This post was last edited on February 4, 2026. 

On Sunday, October 21, 1979, a motorist named Tony Trudnich became stranded in a rural area of Clark County, NV, somewhat near Las Vegas. He noticed a foul odor and began looking around for the source. There he 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 victim's legs were extending outside of the pipe. 

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. 

3D facial reconstruction of Jane Doe added to NamUs on Jan. 23, 2026.

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. The data provided by the Murder Accountability Project lists the "weapon" used in her case as "Other or type unknown." She was found nude, gagged, and tied up. 

It was determined that the remains were those of a white female, though the data provided by the Murder Accountability Project lists her race as "Unknown." 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 profile regarding Jane Doe provided by the Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner (CCCME) 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, while her eye color is unknown due to the condition of the remains. 

Jane Doe's dental chart is available for comparison, while her fingerprints are not. Dental x-rays indicated that she had several fillings, and one of her wisdom teeth was unerupted. According to the Doe Network, her mtDNA is available in NDIS. She has four MP exclusions on NamUs, including Denise Oliverson and Laurie Smith.

Side view of facial reconstruction from NamUs.

I could not find any contemporary newspaper clippings regarding Jane Doe. Few details are available in her case. According to CCCME, Jane Doe's body was buried, while her skull was retained and sent to the University of North Texas (UNT) for testing.

Jane Doe's NamUs case is #UP391 and was created on June 29, 2007. The page was last updated first on September 23, 2025, and then again on January 23, 2026, when images of the new 3D reconstruction — which have been added to this blog post — were uploaded to NamUs. The Doe Network case number is 991UFNV, and was formerly Hot Case Number 467.

Anyone with information regarding Jane Doe's identity or death is urged to contact CCCME at (702) 455-3210 or coroner@clarkcountynv.gov. The agency case number is #79-01241. Those with information may also contact the Las Vegas Metropolitan PD (LVMPD) at (702) 828-2907 or missingpersonscoldcase@LVMPD.com, agency case number 79-70953. Any little piece of information, no matter how seemingly insignificant, is appreciated, and may be the key to recovering Jane Doe's identity. 

Sources

NamUs 

CCCME 

WebSleuths 

Doe Network

Unidentified wiki

Clark County Coroner, archived