The Murder of Thousand Springs Jane Doe, July 1974

On Tuesday, July 16, 1974, a tourist couple stopped to stretch their legs in a rural desert area about 33 mi north of Wells, Elko County, Nevada, where the California Trail runs into US Highway 93. The area has also been described as either 8 or 11 mi north of Thousand Springs. There the couple discovered a human body in a dry wash full of sagebrush either 200 ft or approx. 120 yds off of US Highway 93, about 100 yds west of the old service station site at the turn-off to the Winecup Gamble Ranch.

The body was determined to be that of a white female, about 16 to 25 years old. NamUs lists Jane Doe's age group as "Adult - Pre 30." She was estimated to have been 5'7 to 5'9 and 110 to 130 lbs. She had red/auburn hair. Her eye color could not be determined. Upon autopsy it was discovered that she had no adrenal glands.

All parts of Jane Doe were recovered, though her remains were unrecognizable due to being burnt. After death, her body was covered in diesel fuel and set on fire. A red fuel can was found near the body; however, it was determined that the can contained a different type of fuel than the kind used on Jane Doe.

While NamUs states that Jane Doe's clothing was too badly burnt to be identified, other sources describe what was visible: a blue-green colored blouse and a pair of blue jeans. Buttons on the jeans were a type commonly used on jackets and overalls in the 1970s.

Jane Doe was the victim of a homicide. A broken bone in her neck indicated that she had been strangled to death. Contemporary newspapers stated that authorities believed Jane Doe had been dead for four days to a week, meaning her date of death occurred sometime between Tuesday, July 9th and Friday, July 12, 1974, inclusive. However, according to NamUs and the Doe Network, the estimated PMI is months, with her estimated year of death being 1974.

According to a 1998 newspaper article, there was a set of tracks leading in and out of the murder scene, likely from a truck. This, as well as the fact she was burned with diesel fuel, led investigators to believe Jane Doe may have been killed by a truck driver. According to that same article, she also had a Peterbilt brand key; Peterbilt is a truck manufacturing company. However, none of the other sources mention the key. The article also indicates that at least at the time, LE believed that Jane Doe was killed elsewhere before being dumped where she was found.

In the 2020s artist Lily Martina Lee created a woven shroud for Jane Doe to remember her and had photos taken at the discovery site. The shroud is part of Lee's art collection that she calls "The Great Basin Murders," which includes both the Great Basin Serial Killings of the 80s and 90s as well as earlier cases of femicides in the area, including Starr Valley and Devil's Gate Jane Does. The art collection was displayed in various places across the Great Basin to spread awareness about the cases.

From west to east, the locations of the bodies of: Devil's Gate JD, Starr Valley JD, and Thousand Springs JD in Elko County, NV. Created by me using Google Maps.

I found out about this case from Lee's website. Jane Doe has also been mentioned in a post from an amateur sleuth-run site that I use to find related cases: the Murder Incorp. blog, which compiles contemporary sources about crimes in CA from the 1960s and 70s that either have been recently confirmed to still be, or the blogger suspects to be, unsolved. Special focus is put on cases that bear resemblance and/or occurred somewhat in proximity to confirmed and possible EARONS and Zodiac crimes.

Jane Doe's dental records are available for comparison, while her fingerprints and DNA are not. There are no reconstructions of her. She has two MP exclusions on her NamUs page: she is not Lynn Bandringa or Belinda VanLith.

Anyone with information in the case is urged to please call the Elko County Sheriff's Office at (775) 738-3421. The agency case number is 90-1137. The Medical Examiner/Coroner case number is 197400504.