Cold case reminder seeks tips on Finley Creek Jane Doe identity

Nearly five decades after a young woman was found in a wooded hillside near Elgin, Union County still has no name for Finley Creek Jane Doe, and investigators say the details most likely to trigger a new tip are the ones the public can still picture: a girl or young woman estimated to be between 14 and 25, about 5-foot-2 and 120 pounds, likely in her sixth to eighth month of pregnancy.

Oregon State Police and Crime Stoppers of Oregon say the case remains open. The body was found on Aug. 27, 1978, near Elgin, and Crime Stoppers says fetal remains were reportedly found with her. Investigators estimate her year of death as 1970 to 1975, meaning the victim likely went unreported or unidentified for years before her remains were discovered.

The clothing and items found near the body remain some of the strongest public clues. Crime Stoppers lists red cloth, white cloth, zippers, a halter or bra, red Catalina-brand pants in size 15/16 that may have been altered for length, and ankle-high lace-up shoes. The victim was described as having light brown to blonde hair. Those details are the kind investigators hope can jog the memory of anyone who knew a missing teenager, a pregnant young woman, or a woman who disappeared under unusual circumstances in the 1970s.

The Oregon State Police Cold Case Unit, which focuses on unsolved homicides, missing persons and unidentified human remains, says it vets, researches and investigates cases with actionable leads, available forensic evidence, surviving witnesses and complete historical documents. The unit is staffed at headquarters by a detective sergeant, a detective and an analyst. Crime Stoppers also says facial reconstruction for a composite sketch was completed by Redgrave Research, another tool that may help residents compare the Jane Doe with someone remembered from decades ago.

The case drew renewed attention after Suzanne Timms of Walla Walla said she believed the remains could be her mother, Patricia Lee “Patty” Otto. Otto was 24 and the mother of two when she disappeared from Lewiston, Idaho, on Aug. 31, 1976. Lewiston police considered Otto’s father the main person of interest, and he died in 1983. Even with that lead, investigators have not identified Finley Creek Jane Doe, and Oregon State Police and their partners continue to ask for information that could finally put a name to the young woman found near Elgin.