Indio Jane Doe was a woman whose nude body was found near a dirt frontage road in Indio, California. Henry Lee Lucas confessed to killing her, although he later recanted.
Case[]
The victim was discovered in the open desert north of the I-10 freeway and east of the Cactus City rest stop area, concealed under brush that had been set afire. The crime scene is about 25 miles east of Indio. She was shot to death, her hands were removed cleanly at the wrists with a sharp instrument, and her face and pubic hair were chemically burned. Additionally, her body was burned beyond recognition due to the fire that was set. No clothing, jewelry, or identification was found on her. At the time, no missing person was associated with her case.
After being convicted of killing Becky Powell and Kate Rich in 1983, Henry Lee Lucas confessed to killing the victims. According to the Lucas Report, he confessed to killing this victim. He stated that his partner, Otis Toole, was his accomplice in the murder.
While in custody, Lucas and Toole confessed to killing over a hundred people with the Lucas Task Force, headed by the Texas Rangers, and closing 213 murder cases. However, it was eventually determined that Lucas had falsely confessed to most of the cases, with authorities greatly enabling him by bribing him with privileges or letting him read cold case files to confess. Lucas would recant all of his confessions, including this one. Eventually, he was convicted of eleven murders and suspected of more, and died on March 12, 2001.
The Lucas Report notes that two days before the victim was discovered, Lucas sold a 1970 Plymouth four-door sedan to Kiser Auto Parts in Port Deposit, Maryland, which is roughly a day and a half drive from Indio. Two days before that, he was served a subpoena, also in Port Deposit, to testify in an unrelated divorce hearing. If the victim died days before her discovery instead of weeks, then it is unlikely Lucas killed her, as it would take him 3 days to travel to California and back to Maryland without stopping.
Other victims he (falsely) confessed to or his suspected of can be found here.
Characteristics[]
- Black hair; believed to be shoulder length or longer.
- Extensive dental work.