Douglas County Jane Doe was a woman who committed suicide by standing in the way of a train in Larkspur, Colorado on July 12, 1958. Despite intensive investigation, she was never identified.
Case[]
The train engineer of the "Texas Zephyr" was travelling on the Rio Grande tracks a mile and a half north of Larkspur when he first saw the victim walking down the tracks away from the northbound train. When he signaled, she turned at the engine, turned her back, and covered her face with her hands and waited for the train to hit her. The train was travelling 55 miles per hour when it struck her at 5:58 a.m.
Based on a bus ticket found with her, she got off a Trailways bus at Castle Rock, Colorado on July 10, 1958 at 2:30 p.m. A man and a woman, possibly locals, got off the bus with her. Although, Sherrif John Hammond expressed interest to identify and interview them, it is not known if he was able to. Hammond was unable to determine where she spent the nights of July 10th and 11th, as a check of local tourist facilities and taverns failed to turn up anyone who saw or knew her. From a six-state area, 61 cases of missing women were checked and several relatives of missing women went to see the victim, but no one was able to identify her.
After no one was able to identify her, she was buried as "Unknown Woman" at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Castle Rock.
Characteristics[]
- Light brown hair with reddish cast.
- Slightly crippled in the left leg or foot, resulting in her walking stiff-legged or with a limp.
- No scars or identifiable marks.
- No dental work.
Clothing and accessories[]
- According to the train engineer, she was wearing a brown topcoat, but it was never located.
- Brown, red, blue, green, and white vertically striped skirt.
- White-printed blouse with no sleeves and with small figures in green, black, and brown.
- Badly worn and cheap brown leather moccasins.
- Band-aid on her left heel.
Belongings[]
- Black patent-leather, envelope-style, and 12" by 5" in size purse with no handles containing the following:
- Stub of a Littleton to Castle Rock bus ticket.
- $1 bill.
- Three combs.
- Toothbrush.
- Lipstick.
- Band-aid.
- Sack containing the following:
- Light blue plastic raincoat.
- Sears-Roebuck blue jeans, size 26.
- Imitation red leather belt.
Douglas County News (July 17, 1958).