The Doe Network: International Center for Unidentified & Missing Persons
Case File: 1UFNY

 The Doe Network

IDENTIFIED....IDENTIFIED....IDENTIFIED
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Left to right: Reconstructions by NCMEC; Sketches by Wesley Neville; Age-regression by NCMEC to age 12; Victim's clothing and jewelry.
To view a post-mortem photos of the victim please click Photo 1 and Photo 2



Unidentified Female

  • Date of Discovery: November 9 or 10, 1979
  • Location of Discovery: Caledonia, Livingston County, New York
  • Estimated Date of Death: One day prior
  • State of Remains: Recognizable face
  • Cause of Death: Homicide by gunshot wound to the head
  • Physical Description
    ** Listed information is approximate

  • Estimated Age: 13-19 years old; Estimated birth year is 1958-1967
  • Race: White
  • Gender: Female
  • Height: 5'3"
  • Weight: 120 lbs.
  • Hair Color: Brown, curly, shoulder-length. Frosted about 4 months prior and was starting to grow out.
  • Eye Color: Brown
  • Distinguishing Marks/Features: Several scars: 1/2" scar on forehead at the hairline; 1" scar on front left shoulder; 1/2" scar on outer left ankle; 1/2" scar on left forearm; Z-shaped scar on right shin; 3 small scars on left index finger; tiny scar on left knee, right knee, top of right foot, right ankle, and inner right thigh; and a skin defect 3" x 1" that resembles an old burn scar on the inner right thigh. Both ears pierced once. Freckles on the backs of her shoulders. Acne on her face and chest. She was tanned and had visible bikini lines. Wearing coral-colored nail polish on her toe nails. Blood type A Negative.
  • Dentals: Available. Some serious decay and tooth #14 was decayed to the extent that only three roots remained. She had not had any dental care.
  • Fingerprints: Available. Sent to FBI headquarters, but there was no match on file.
  • DNA: Available in CODIS.
  • Clothing & Personal Items
  • Clothing: Boy's multi-plaid button-down shirt, tan corduroy pants, blue knee socks, light blue panties, white Exquisite bra, brown lace up ripple-sole shoes (size 8), and a man's red nylon-lined Auto Sports Products, Inc. windbreaker with black stripes down the arms. Auto Sports products had jackets that were a one-shot promotional gimmick. There was no way to track where they had gone after they were distributed. One tipster told investigators that she thought the victim's shoes were popular in the Venjiont area during the late 1970s.
  • Jewelry: Native American style necklace with silver beads and three small turquoise stones, one resembling a bird. The necklace was probably created somewhere in the Southwest.
  • Additional Personal Items: Two key chains that were attached to the front belt loops of her jeans. One key chain, in the shape of a heart, was inscribed, "He who holds the Key can open my heart." The other key chain held the key that fit the small silver heart. The key chains could have been bought in almost any roadside gift shop.
  • Case History

    A passing motorist discovered the victim in a Caledonia cornfield about 20 feet from the south side of Route 20, about one half mile from the intersection of Route 5. She was fully clothed and there was no evidence that she had been sexually molested. Her pockets had been turned inside out, possibly to remove any identification.

    The coroner estimated that she was killed the previous night from two gunshot wounds; one to the front of her head and one to her back. The gunshot wound to her head was inflicted prior to the one to her back. Apparently she was shot by the road where a blood spot marked the earth, then dragged into the cornfield and shot again. Police speculated that the murder weapon used was a .38-caliber handgun. Ballistics experts dug up a slug buried in the dirt underneath the victim and tested it against literally hundreds of other bullets fired from guns seized by police. Over the years, the Livingston County probes traced weapons to as far away as Canada, Europe, and Mexico, but they were never able to match the slug to a murder weapon.

    An examination of the girl's stomach contents turned up pieces of meat, corn and potatoes. A waitress from a small dinner in Lima, New York, remembered seeing the girl the night before the murder, but she couldn't remember anything more. An unknown male was seen with the victim at a diner near the recovery location (his sketch is available on the FBI flyer located under Sources at the bottom of this page). He is described as a white male, 5'8" to 5'9" with black wire rimmed glasses and a plaid shirt. He was driving a tan station wagon with side paneling.

    It was reported that several truckers called in with information about a young girl who was traveling and catching rides where she could. One trucker swore he saw the girl the night before she was murdered trying to hitch a ride to Boston from a nearby truck stop. It is unknown if this information has been confirmed.

    She was laid to rest in the Mount Morris Cemetery in Dansville, New York. The inscription of her gravestone reads, "Lest we forget an unidentified girl. November 9. 1979. And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest." In September 2005, her grave was exhumed in order to test her teeth in hopes of identifying minerals found in drinking water to help aid in her identification. Pollen samples taken from the victim's clothing were determined to have come from only four places: Arizona, California, South Florida, or Mexico.

    Serial killer Henry Lee Lucas confessed to her murder in 1984, however, no evidence supported his claim. He died in 2000. Police have followed up on over 10,000 leads, all to no avail.

    UPDATE: On January 26, 2015, the Livingston County Sheriff announced that Caledonia Jane Doe, aka Cali, was identified as Tammy Jo Alexander of Florida.

    Investigating Agency(s)
    If you have any information about this case please contact;

  • Agency Name: Livingston County Coroner's Office
  • Agency Contact Person: N/A
  • Agency Phone Number: 585-538-6902
  • Agency Name: Livingston County Sheriff's Office
  • Agency Contact Person: Major Burgess
  • Agency Phone Number: 585-243-7120
  • Major Burgess E-Mail
  • NYSP E-Mail

  • Agency Case Number: ME: 05-02073; LE: 138159; NCMEC: 1102079
  • NCIC Case Number: U157617149
  • NamUs Case Number: UP #6583
  • Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information regarding this case.

    Information Source(s)
  • NamUs
  • NCMEC
  • Livingston County Sheriff's Office
  • FBI
  • New York State Police
  • The Evening Tribune News Archive (11/10/11)

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    Last Updated: 1/25/15 - By: DD / Unidentified Persons Coordinator

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