by Jessica
Researching murder cases means reading stacks of newspapers throughout California. One of the things that far too many cases we've covered, read about or heard about, have in common are victims left on the sides of roads. In article after article the term "dumped" is often used to describe the state of the victim and the place where they were found. It's a term I hate.
Using the word "dumped" feels dehumanizing and I've tried many times to find an alternative way of discussing these cases. The problem: the term is accurate and this is why it's gross. Whoever made the decision to take a life, whether it be stranger or loved one, chose to leave that human being on the side of the road, like trash.
It's a term that should bother me because it sums up the crime in question perfectly. The humanity of these victims was never a first priority to their murderers. That's the case whether we're talking victims like Idema Cerney, Marcy Conrad, Gwen Araujo or in our recently covered cold case: The Needles Jane Doe.
On May 14, 1991, an unidentified person was found deceased in the Mojave Desert alongside Interstate 40 about 30 miles west of Needles, CA.
Needles, CA is a small city in San Bernardino County in the southern part of California. According to the United States Census Bureau it had approximately 4,959 people living there in 2020. This small town also sits very close to the Arizona border and on both Route 66 and Interstate 40.
Interstate 40 where the victim was found is a major interstate highway that runs through the southern portion of the United States connecting the states of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee and North Carolina. Interstate-40 is a very busy road and according to the Truck Driver Academy it's one of the busiest interstates in the US for commercial truck traffic.
All of this means that the Needles Jane Doe could be from anywhere in the United States.
In 1991, when the victim was found it was determined that she had been deceased for several days and her body was described as "decomposed" by the Doe Network. According to the Weather Underground, the average temperature in May of 1991 was 87 degrees Fahrenheit/30 degrees Celsius. This would've contributed to decomposition making narrowing down her exact date of murder difficult. While there isn't an official cause of death investigators believe she died from a homicide.
The victim's identity is still unknown but according to the Doe Network they were biologically female, between the ages of 24-45 years old, white, five feet four inches tall, approximately 148 pounds with brown hair. Their eye color was unknown.
There wasn't any identification found with the victim but they were wearing a pink tank top with a picture of a cactus and sunflower on the front, pink knee length leggings with lace fringe and white socks. She was also wearing a yellow metal gold chain.
While there is little known about this victim including who murdered them and callously "dumped" their body on the side of the road, I'm hopeful the details shared by the San Bernardino Sheriff's Office and the Doe Network can finally give this victim back their name. Adding to that hope is that there are DNA, fingerprints and dental records available in this case.
If you have any information about the Needles Jane Doe please contact the San Bernardino Sheriffs at 909-387-3589. You can also make an anonymous tip at 1-800-78-CRIME.
For more information:
San Bernardino Sheriff's County: https://wp.sbcounty.gov/sheriff/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2017/07/Doe-Jane.pdf
The Doe Network: https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/101ufca.html
NamUS: https://namus.nij.ojp.gov/case/UP2554
Truck Driving Academy: https://www.truckdriveracademy.com/busiest-interstates-for-trucks/
Weather Underground: https://namus.nij.ojp.gov/case/UP2554
