Doe Network

961UFCA - Unidentified Female


Reconstruction of the decedent; personal effects found at the scene.

Date of Discovery: January 24, 1983
Location of Discovery: Healdsburg, Sonoma County, California
Estimated Date of Death: 4 weeks prior
State of Remains: Not recognizable - Decomposing/putrefaction
Cause of Death: Undetermined

Physical Description

Estimated Age: 30-50 years old
Race: White
Sex: Female
Height: 5'1 to 5'7
Weight: 100-140 lbs.
Hair Color: Brown with some gray visible.
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: One of the woman's legs was shorter than the other, causing a noticable limp. Healed fracture to rib 5.

Identifiers

Dentals: Available.
Fingerprints: Not available.
DNA: Available.

Clothing & Personal Items

Clothing: Blue jeans, one brown sock, J C Penny's brand panties size 42 and a brown ankle-length lace up boot,
Jewelry: white metal earring with greenish stone. Ful-Vue gold rim prescription glasses.
Additional Personal Items: Food stamps originally issued in June of 1982 in Philadelphia, PA. Green Girl Scout pocket knife. Green/red cloth tape measure. 2 keys with a paper tag. Metal pencil sharpener. 2 quartz crystal stones.

Circumstances of Discovery

On Jan. 24, 1983, a gardener found a headless and partly decomposed body of an adult woman in Foss Creek behind Simi Winery, according to Press Democrat archives. Investigators later found a head during a search of the area. Police said the body may have been deposited upstream and dislodged by recent rains.

The remains were exhumed in 2011 for DNA samples and to uncover possible ties to serial killer Joseph Naso, despite the fact that no cause of death could be determined for this victim. Naso killed at least six women, four of which were prostitutes, between 1977 and 1994. He was convicted and subsequently sentanced to death in 2013.

Naso's known victims were found in Marin, Contra Costa, Yuba and Nevada Counties, but he had mentioned Healdsburg in a compiled list of ten potential victims, some of which he had photographed in unnatural positions.

Investigating Agency(s)

Agency Name: Sonoma County Coroner's Department
Agency Contact Person: Greg Stashyn
Agency Phone Number: 707-565-5070
Agency E-Mail: gstashyn(at)sonoma-county.org
Agency Case Number: 83-100

Agency Name: Healdsburg Police Department
Agency Contact Person: Chief Kevin Burke
Agency Phone Number: 707-431-3377
Agency E-Mail: police(at)ci.healdsburg.ca.us
Agency Case Number: Unknown

NCIC Case Number: Unknown
NamUs Case Number: 11808

Information Source(s)

NamUs
Press Democrat
Healdsburg Patch
Wikipedia

Admin Notes

Added: Prior to 2013; Last Updated: 10/31/18


Questions or comments? Please contact appropriate member of the Area Team

** Listed information may be estimated.

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