Nipton Jane Doe: 778UFCA -

On May 30th 1976, hikers making their way through a mineshaft near I-15 and Cima Road in the Mojave Desert near Nipton, California, made a grim discovery. The body of a young woman had been thrown down the mineshaft, and layers of dirt had been thrown over her in an effort to conceal her body. In a state of shock, the hikers ran from the mineshaft and summoned the San Bernardino County Sheriff.

The San Bernardino County Coroner determined the woman was white, 18 to 30 years old, with reddish brown/red hair, 5’4” and around 155 lbs. She was found wearing a navy with white trim ‘Carol Brant’ two-piece swimming costume, although there were no pools near where she was found. The post-mortem interval was determined to be ‘days’ as her face was still recognisable.

The coroner discovered the woman had died as a result of a gunshot to her back, perforating her liver and causing severe internal damage. The gauge of the gun used has never been discerned, although investigators believe a 7-71/2 gauge shotgun was used. The woman’s upper front teeth overlapped, and she was missing her wisdom teeth. Remnants of orange or pink nail polish were present on her fingernails.

47 years have passed without anybody coming forward to claim the woman only known to authorities as ‘Nipton Jane Doe’. Investigators believe she was killed elsewhere and dumped in the mineshaft, but who killed her remains a mystery. Unfortunately, DNA profiling is not an option as the sample was deemed ‘insufficient for testing’. Dentals and fingerprints are available. Anyone with information is asked to contact the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office at 909-387-2978, quoting case number 47426.