‘This was someone’s daughter’: Woman found strangled to death in Nevada County still unidentified 40 years later
(FOX40.COM) — The identity of a woman who was strangled to death and discarded down an embankment 40 years ago is still a mystery and law enforcement wants help to find out who she is.
“She was found by a hiker near the Independence Trail,” said Nevada County Sheriff’s Office Detective Rory Sonnier.
On July 8, 1984, law enforcement reported that the dead body of a Caucasian woman believed to be in her 20’s with shoulder-length brown hair was found along the side of Highway 49 near the South Yuba Bridge. Her height was estimated to be between 5-5’8 feet tall.
“It’s hard to get an exact height on someone when their either complete skeletal or near skeletal remains,” Sonnier said. “Based on the lack of soft tissue like muscles, fat, and things like that, that add to our overall height – estimations on height can vary depending on the level of decomposition.”
Deputies suspect she was on the side of the road for up to 35 days before she was found.
“Based on autopsy reports she was killed by ligature strangulation and blunt force trauma to the head,” Sonnier said.
Law enforcement said the unidentified woman may not have been from the area and that her clothing did not match the climate of Nevada County. They suspect she could have been from a place with colder weather.
The unidentified woman was found wearing a pair of size eight Calvin Klein jeans, size five Nike tennis shoes, a bubble vest with a size large plaid button-up shirt, and a distinct red cotton shirt with an embroidered tiger face on the front of it. The word “tiger” was also embroidered below the tiger face.
“We believe that’s very identifiable and that someone out there will recognize that image,” Sonnier said.
Sonnier said another easily identifiable item found on her was a gold floral designed ring with an oval-shaped opal stone.
Nevada County Sheriff’s Office reported that the woman’s DNA was placed into the CODIS (Combined DNA Index System) which is a computer database that holds local, state, and national DNA profiles, but a match has not been made. She also listed on NameUs (Nationals Missing and Unidentified Person’s System) and other databases to find missing people.
“Personally, I find it heartbreaking that we don’t even know who she is,” Sonnier said. “If nothing else I want to bring some closure to her.”
Sonnier said that although not much evidence was left at the scene, they believe that evidence recovered from her body and clothing will be what solves the case.
The Sheriff’s Department said it’s not giving up on finding out who she is, where she’s from, and why she was murdered.
“This was someone’s daughter – a daughter that simply vanished with no closure ever provided to her family,” NCSO said.
Anyone with information on who the unidentified woman might be is encouraged to contact the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office at 320-265-1471 or nevadacounty.ca.gov.
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