The Lost and the Found

https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/7635/details



Unidentified Person / NamUs #UP7635 Female, White / Caucasian
Date Found
May 26, 1991
Location Found
Pershing County, Nevada
Estimated Age Range
25-35 Years

Case Information
Case Numbers
NCMEC Number
--
ME/C Case Number
0580-91 PER

Demographics
Sex
Female
Race / Ethnicity
White / Caucasian
--
Estimated Age Group
Adult - Pre 40
Estimated Age Range (Years)
25-35
Estimated Year of Death
--
Estimated PMI
--
Height
5' 2"(62 inches) , Estimated
Weight
Cannot Estimate

Circumstances
Type
Unidentified Deceased
Date Found
May 26, 1991
NamUs Case Created
August 24, 2010
ME/C QA Reviewed
August 25, 2010

Location Found Map
Street Address
Rural Black Rock Desert
Approx. 11 miles North of Gerlach
Nevada
County
Pershing County
GPS Coordinates
--
Circumstances of Recovery
Motorist found human skeletal remains in shallow grave site and 1/2 mile radius around site. Scattered skeletal remains, jewelry and clothing remnants found.
Details of Recovery
Inventory of Remains
Torso not recovered
One or more limbs not recovered
One or both hands not recovered
Condition of Remains
Not recognizable - Partial skeletal parts only

Physical Description
Hair Color
Unknown or Completely Bald
Head Hair Description
None located
Body Hair Description
None located
Facial Hair Description
None located
Left Eye Color
Unknown or Missing
Right Eye Color
Unknown or Missing
Eye Description
None located
Distinctive Physical Features
Item
Description
Scar/mark Cranial perimortem defects noted

Clothing and Accessories
Item
Description
Clothing"KIKKU" brand denim jeans-made in England
"Stage" brand black blouse- made in Turkey Near the Body
Jewelry Yellow metal bracelet with word "Valerie" inscribed on it.

Sea serpent bracelet with abalone inlay On the Body

Investigating Agencies
Nevada Division of Investigation

Agency Case Number
C-91-246
Det. Rick Brown
--
Pershing Co. Sheriff's Office
--
Agency Case Number
C91-291
--
Case Contributors
Marika Morris, Medicolegal Death Investigator
Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner's Office
(775) 785-6114[/b]

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/387ufnv.html






Reconstructions of the victim by Barbara Martin-Bailey; victim's jewelry.

Date of Discovery: May 26, 1991
Location of Discovery: Black Rock Desert, Pershing County, Nevada
Estimated Date of Death: 1987-1991
State of Remains: Partial skeletal
Cause of Death: Homicide by gunshot

Physical Description
Estimated Age: 25-50+ years old
Race: White
Sex: Female
Height: 5'1" to 5'3"
Weight: Unknown
Hair Color: Unknown
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown

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

Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: KIKKU brand denim jeans which was manufactured in England and which bore a waist size of 30 inches; a Stage brand black blouse which was manufactured in Turkey and which read "one size fits all"; a dark colored camisole slip.
Jewelry: Yellow-metal bracelet with the name "Valerie" was buried with the remains. Also found was a bracelet in the shape of a sea serpent and having an abalone inlay.
Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Discovery
The victim, nicknamed "Valerie Doe," was located in Pershing County, Nevada on May 25, 1991 in a shallow grave by three travelers in the Black Rock Desert.

She had been shot one or more times in the head before she was buried.

Two anthropologists who examined the woman's remains came to different conclusions about her age. The first estimated she was 25 to 35 and the second concluded she was between her 40s and 50s.

Investigating Agency(s)
Agency Name: Pershing County Coroner
Agency Contact Person: Marika Morris
Agency Phone Number: 775-273-2641 or 775-785-6114
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 0580-91 PER

Agency Name: Nevada Department of Public Safety
Agency Contact Person: Detective Rick Brown
Agency Phone Number: 775-684-7430
Agency E-Mail: mroberto(at)dps.state.nv.us
Agency Case Number: C-91-246

NCIC Case Number: U496954015
NamUs Case Number: 7635

Information Source(s)
NamUs
Washoe County Coroner (archived)
Nevada Department of Public Safety (archived)

Admin Notes
Added: Prior to 2011; Last Updated: 2/5/18