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| cause of death=Ligature strangulation
 
| cause of death=Ligature strangulation
 
|body condition = {{Rf}}
 
|body condition = {{Rf}}
|span = {{age|1980|11|01}}}}
+
|span = {{age|1980|11|01}}}}{{Graphic}}
{{Graphic}}
 
   
'''Walker County Jane Doe '''was a teenager or young adult found murdered on November 1, 1980. She had been seen alive hours before her body was found and claimed she was from the nearby cities of Aransas Pass or Rockport.
+
'''Walker County Jane Doe '''was a teenager or young adult found murdered in Huntsville, Texas on November 1st, 1980. She is believed to have been seen alive hours before her body was found, requesting directions to a local prison.
   
==Sightings==
+
==Case==
   
  +
===Sightings===
Some claimed to have seen the victim, who claimed she was a runaway from Aransas Pass or Rockport, Texas. The victim said she wanted to go to the Ellis Prison Farm to see a "friend."
 
   
 
Some claimed to have seen the victim, who claimed she was a runaway from Aransas Pass or Rockport, Texas. The victim said she wanted to go to the Ellis Prison Farm to see a "friend." All three witnesses who saw the victim have died.
She was seen by the manager of the South End Gulf Station and two employees of the Hitch 'n Post truck stop.
 
   
A waitress at the truck stop asked the girl if her parents knew where she was. The girl replied, "Who cares?"
+
She was seen by the manager of the South End Gulf Station and two employees of the Hitch 'n Post truck stop. One of the waitresses at the latter establishment questioned the girl's age and if her parents knew where she was. The victim replied, claiming she was 19, followed by "who cares."
   
  +
===Discovery===
Each of the three witnesses who saw the victim are now deceased.
 
   
  +
On the morning of November 1, 1980, a trucker called the police to report the finding of a nude body along Interstate 45. The victim wore only a necklace; red sandals were discarded nearby.
== Case ==
 
[[File:PM.jpg|link=File:Walker County Jane Doe PM.jpg|thumb|left|Mortuary photograph]]
 
   
  +
The victim had been beaten severely and strangled with pantyhose, which were lodged in her vaginal cavity. She had been sexually assaulted in both lower-body cavities with a blunt object; it is unknown if she was conventionally raped, as no biological evidence was recovered. A deep bite mark was located on one of her shoulders.
The young woman's body was found face down near a highway in Huntsville, Texas. She had been strangled, beaten and violently sexually assaulted; her body was unclothed, but a pair of red high-heeled sandals were disposed of near the body.
 
 
Authorities decided to test the sandals for DNA, but no results have been released.
 
   
 
==Investigation==
 
==Investigation==
  +
After her autopsy, it was determined she was likely from a middle-class household, as she was not malnourished and had excellent dental health. The examination failed to conclusively prove whether she received orthodontic care, but her teeth were "perfectly" aligned.
After the discovery of the body, witnesses from the gas station and truck stop came forward and identified the decedent as a teenage girl who had asked for directions to the Ellis Prison Unit. No inmates or staff could identify the victim.
 
   
 
Early in the investigation, Henry Lee Lucas was considered a possible suspect in the Walker County case. However, bite marks on the victim's back could not be matched to Lucas. One investigator suggested she may have been murdered by a woman.
Her body was exhumed in 1999 to obtain a DNA sample and for more information on her age.
 
   
  +
After news reports about the murder were released, witnesses from the gas station and truck stop came forward. They identified the decedent as a girl asking for directions to the Ellis Prison Unit. No inmates or staff at the prison could identify the victim. To the best of their recollection, she had been let out of a 1973 or 1974 blue Chevrolet with a lighter colored top, possibly a Caprice, which was being driven by a white male. She was notably seemed to be disheveled like she had been traveling and perhaps sleeping in her clothes. She left the station, walking north on Sam Houston Avenue.
==Related cases ==
 
   
  +
In January 1981, her remains were buried after the investigation stalled. In 1999, the body was exhumed for DNA information and to obtain a clearer estimation of the victim's age.
She may have been killed by the same man as [[Orange Socks]], who was found around the same day a year before. The pair had both been strangled, sexually assaulted and left nude by a highway, except for footwear.<ref>[http://listverse.com/2014/10/31/10-creepy-unsolved-mysteries-that-happened-on-halloween/ ListVerse]</ref>
 
   
 
[[File:Kathleen.jpg|thumb|Image describing the "Kathleen" theory.]]
Lucas confessed to killing Orange Socks but later recanted. Lucas had been working in Florida the day Orange Socks was murdered. Lucas was known to have confessed to thousands crimes that were almost certainly not committed by him.
 
   
  +
In late 2015, a 1980 photograph of a possible runaway from Corpus Christi surfaced that resembled the victim. Her name may have been Cathleen/Kathleen, Kathy/Cathy, or Katy, and she stated she was traveling to a different prison in Texas.
Early in the investigation, serial killer Henry Lee Lucas was considered a possible suspect in the Walker County case. However, bite marks on the victim's back could not be matched to Lucas.
 
   
  +
The sandals found at the scene were later tested for traces of DNA. The results have yet to be released.
Another theory indicates the victim could be one of four other victims (along with [[Harris County Jane Doe (December 10, 1980)|Harris County Jane Doe]]) killed along Interstate 45 in 1980. Each victim was strangled and some were victims of sexual assault.
 
   
  +
There were previous speculations the victim was a 17-year old girl who was living at a Galveston youth shelter, known as "Kitty." Photographs and footage featured in the 1980 documentary ''Runaways'' were noted to bear a resemblance to the Jane Doe. "Kitty" was later identified and located alive. <sup><ref>''According to a 2020 interview with Carl Koppelman.''</ref></sup>
== Physical characteristics ==
 
   
 
=== Related cases ===
* She had brown hair, cut in a "wing" style.
 
  +
She may have been killed by the same man as [[Debra Jackson]], previously known as "Orange Socks," who was found around the same day a year before. Both were strangled, sexually assaulted, and left nude by a highway, except for footwear. Henry Lee Lucas confessed to killing Jackson but later recanted; he was working in Florida the day Jackson was murdered. He confessed to thousands of murders in the country that he did not commit, resulting in coercion by detectives or for fame.
* Her eyes were hazel but could have been brown.
 
  +
 
Another theory indicates the victim could be one of four other victims. The list included [[Harris County Jane Doe (October 1980)]] and [[Harris County Jane Doe (December 10, 1980)]], left along Interstate 45. Each victim was strangled and some were victims of sexual assault. A third potential victim's body has since been identified. The existence of the so-called "I-45 Killer" has never been proven.
  +
  +
== Characteristics ==
  +
 
* Light brown hair, in a "wing" style.
  +
* Hazel eyes.
 
* She painted her toenails a light pink.
 
* She painted her toenails a light pink.
  +
* Pierced ears, but no earrings were found on her or in close proximity to the crime scene.
* She was at a healthy weight.
 
  +
* Healthy weight.
* She had some dental fillings.
+
* One or more dental fillings.
 
* Her right nipple may have been inverted, according to one news report.
 
* Her right nipple may have been inverted, according to one news report.
   
== Clothing and jewelry ==
+
== Clothing and jewelry ==
   
* She was found wearing a thin gold necklace with a pendant containing a smoky or blue-colored stone.
+
* A thin gold necklace with a pendant containing a smoky or blue-colored stone.
** This necklace was mysteriously lost and was never photographed
+
** This necklace was mysteriously lost and was never photographed.
* She was found alongside a pair of high-heeled, strapped red sandals.
+
* A pair of high-heeled, strapped red sandals.
* She was found with pantyhose, which appeared to be the murder weapon.
+
* Pantyhose, which appeared to be the murder weapon.
 
* She may have worn a yellow pullover sweater.
 
* She may have worn a yellow pullover sweater.
 
* She may have worn blue jeans.
 
* She may have worn blue jeans.
 
* She may have worn a white blouse.
 
* She may have worn a white blouse.
   
== Media appearances ==
+
== Possible identities ==
* Her sketch and morgue photographs appear in Karen T. Taylor's ''Forensic Art and Illustration.''
 
 
==Theories==
 
 
[[File:Kathleen.jpg|thumb|Image describing the "Kathleen" theory.]]
 
 
*She may have been killed by a serial killer connected to the Texas Killing Fields.
 
*She may have also been a victim of the theorized "I-45 Killer."
 
*She may have known the prisoner she was seeking to visit through a prison pen pal program.
 
*She may have been from the Gulf Coast region of Texas.
 
*She may have run away from the New Bethany School for Girls or a similar institution.
 
*Her name may have been Cathleen/Kathleen, Kathy/Cathy or Katy.
 
**In late 2015, a picture of a possible runaway from Corpus Christi surfaced that resembled the victim.
 
 
* She may have been "Kitty", an unidentified 17-years old girl who was living in Galveston youth shelter and whose photo - featured in 1980 documentary "Runaways"- shows resemblance to the victim. It's also possible that Jane Doe, "Kitty" and "Kathy/Cathy" mentioned above are the same person.
 
 
=== Possible identities ===
 
   
 
''Please see: [[Unidentified Wiki:Possible identities for Walker County Jane Doe]]''
 
''Please see: [[Unidentified Wiki:Possible identities for Walker County Jane Doe]]''
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<gallery navigation="true">
 
<gallery navigation="true">
 
WCJD Taylor.jpg|1990 Rendering by Karen T. Taylor
 
Walker County Jane Doe.jpg|Previous NCMEC reconstruction
 
Walker Texas Jane Doe November 1980 b.jpg
  +
WalkerCoSO80-11476Final.jpg|Alternate rendering
 
Walker_County_ID_photo_fx_Recon_007b.jpg|Reconstruction by Carl Koppelman
 
Walker_County_ID_photo_fx_Recon_007b.jpg|Reconstruction by Carl Koppelman
 
Walker County Jane Doe by Carl Koppleman.JPG|Reconstruction by Carl Koppelman
 
Walker County Jane Doe by Carl Koppleman.JPG|Reconstruction by Carl Koppelman
  +
WCJD side 2020.jpg|2020 rendering by Carl Koppelman
 
Walker JD.jpg|Reconstruction by Carl Koppelman
 
Walker JD.jpg|Reconstruction by Carl Koppelman
Walker County Jane Doe.jpg|Previous NCMEC reconstruction
 
Walker Texas Jane Doe November 1980 b.jpg
 
 
91UFTX1.jpg
 
91UFTX1.jpg
 
PM.jpg|Mortuary photograph|link=File:Walker County Jane Doe PM.jpg
30077539_122239758805.jpg|Reconstruction by Karen T. Taylor
 
7945283_124020328656.jpg
 
Walker Jane Doe Side.jpg
 
Walker Side.jpg
 
Walker GW sketch.jpg.jpg
 
My Sketch.jpg|Amateur Sketch
 
 
PM.jpg|Censored morgue photograph|link=File:Walker PM2.jpeg
 
PM.jpg|Censored morgue photograph|link=File:Walker PM2.jpeg
 
PM.jpg|Censored morgue photograph|link=File:Walkerco2.jpg
 
PM.jpg|Censored morgue photograph|link=File:Walkerco2.jpg
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
   
==Links==
+
==Media==
 
*Her sketch and morgue photographs appear in Karen T. Taylor's ''Forensic Art and Illustration''.
  +
  +
==Sources==
   
 
*{{Wikipedia|Walker_County_Jane_Doe|Walker County Jane Doe}}
 
*{{Wikipedia|Walker_County_Jane_Doe|Walker County Jane Doe}}
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[[Category:People found in Texas]]
 
[[Category:People found in Texas]]
 
[[Category:Possible hitchhikers]]
 
[[Category:Possible hitchhikers]]
[[Category:Current NCMEC cases]]
+
[[Category:I-45 Serial Killer victims]]
[[Category:Victims of serial killers]]
+
[[Category:White]]
  +
[[Category:Discovered near highways]]

Revision as of 03:02, 18 May 2020

Template:UIDTemplate:Graphic

Walker County Jane Doe was a teenager or young adult found murdered in Huntsville, Texas on November 1st, 1980. She is believed to have been seen alive hours before her body was found, requesting directions to a local prison.

Case

Sightings

Some claimed to have seen the victim, who claimed she was a runaway from Aransas Pass or Rockport, Texas. The victim said she wanted to go to the Ellis Prison Farm to see a "friend." All three witnesses who saw the victim have died.

She was seen by the manager of the South End Gulf Station and two employees of the Hitch 'n Post truck stop. One of the waitresses at the latter establishment questioned the girl's age and if her parents knew where she was. The victim replied, claiming she was 19, followed by "who cares."

Discovery

On the morning of November 1, 1980, a trucker called the police to report the finding of a nude body along Interstate 45. The victim wore only a necklace; red sandals were discarded nearby.

The victim had been beaten severely and strangled with pantyhose, which were lodged in her vaginal cavity. She had been sexually assaulted in both lower-body cavities with a blunt object; it is unknown if she was conventionally raped, as no biological evidence was recovered. A deep bite mark was located on one of her shoulders.

Investigation

After her autopsy, it was determined she was likely from a middle-class household, as she was not malnourished and had excellent dental health. The examination failed to conclusively prove whether she received orthodontic care, but her teeth were "perfectly" aligned.

Early in the investigation, Henry Lee Lucas was considered a possible suspect in the Walker County case. However, bite marks on the victim's back could not be matched to Lucas. One investigator suggested she may have been murdered by a woman.

After news reports about the murder were released, witnesses from the gas station and truck stop came forward. They identified the decedent as a girl asking for directions to the Ellis Prison Unit. No inmates or staff at the prison could identify the victim. To the best of their recollection, she had been let out of a 1973 or 1974 blue Chevrolet with a lighter colored top, possibly a Caprice, which was being driven by a white male. She was notably seemed to be disheveled like she had been traveling and perhaps sleeping in her clothes. She left the station, walking north on Sam Houston Avenue.

In January 1981, her remains were buried after the investigation stalled. In 1999, the body was exhumed for DNA information and to obtain a clearer estimation of the victim's age.

File:Kathleen.jpg

Image describing the "Kathleen" theory.

In late 2015, a 1980 photograph of a possible runaway from Corpus Christi surfaced that resembled the victim. Her name may have been Cathleen/Kathleen, Kathy/Cathy, or Katy, and she stated she was traveling to a different prison in Texas.

The sandals found at the scene were later tested for traces of DNA. The results have yet to be released.

There were previous speculations the victim was a 17-year old girl who was living at a Galveston youth shelter, known as "Kitty." Photographs and footage featured in the 1980 documentary Runaways were noted to bear a resemblance to the Jane Doe. "Kitty" was later identified and located alive. [1]

Related cases

She may have been killed by the same man as Debra Jackson, previously known as "Orange Socks," who was found around the same day a year before. Both were strangled, sexually assaulted, and left nude by a highway, except for footwear. Henry Lee Lucas confessed to killing Jackson but later recanted; he was working in Florida the day Jackson was murdered. He confessed to thousands of murders in the country that he did not commit, resulting in coercion by detectives or for fame.

Another theory indicates the victim could be one of four other victims. The list included Harris County Jane Doe (October 1980) and Harris County Jane Doe (December 10, 1980), left along Interstate 45. Each victim was strangled and some were victims of sexual assault. A third potential victim's body has since been identified. The existence of the so-called "I-45 Killer" has never been proven.

Characteristics

  • Light brown hair, in a "wing" style.
  • Hazel eyes.
  • She painted her toenails a light pink.
  • Pierced ears, but no earrings were found on her or in close proximity to the crime scene.
  • Healthy weight.
  • One or more dental fillings.
  • Her right nipple may have been inverted, according to one news report.

Clothing and jewelry

  • A thin gold necklace with a pendant containing a smoky or blue-colored stone.
    • This necklace was mysteriously lost and was never photographed.
  • A pair of high-heeled, strapped red sandals.
  • Pantyhose, which appeared to be the murder weapon.
  • She may have worn a yellow pullover sweater.
  • She may have worn blue jeans.
  • She may have worn a white blouse.

Possible identities

Please see: Unidentified Wiki:Possible identities for Walker County Jane Doe

Gallery

Media

  • Her sketch and morgue photographs appear in Karen T. Taylor's Forensic Art and Illustration.

Sources

  1. According to a 2020 interview with Carl Koppelman.