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Nipton Jane Doe (1976)

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Nipton Jane Doe was a young woman found shot to death in a mine shaft near Nipton, California on May 30, 1976.

Case[]

The victim was discovered by a family exploring the area at the 30 feet level of the 130 feet of the mineshaft. The mineshaft is near the I-15, which is a major route between Los Angeles, California and Las Vegas, Nevada, and Cima Road in the remote Mojave Desert.

Her cause of death was a gunshot wound to the back which went through her swimsuit and greatly damaged her liver. The gun used to kill her was a shotgun, gauge unknown. However, it is known that the shots used were #7 or #7.5.

After being disposed of in the mineshaft, debris was thrown on her to hide her body. She may have been transported to the location and is believed to have been killed four to six days before she was discovered by the family.

In February 2025, it was announced that through genetic genealogy the woman's identity was narrowed down to a being a close relative of Lois Lorene Roberts Riddick, a woman who lived in Kansas and died in 1967. It was at first thought the Jane Doe was Lois' daughter Dorothy Riddick Clark, who she and her husband Arthur Eugene Riddick Jr. (who died in 1970) put up for adoption at age 7 months in 1949. This individual was later found alive under a different name in April 2025 and investigators have confirmed that she is a close cousin of the unidentified woman. It is now thought that Jane Doe is related to this family through a possible illegitimate or otherwise previously unknown child birthed by Lois or through one of her other 9 siblings, all of which are the children of Alfred Lee Roberts and Dollie Mae Roberts.

Characteristics[]

  • Shoulder length, reddish brown hair.
  • Slightly obese.
  • Residual of orange or pink nail polish on fingernails.
  • Her two front teeth overlapped.
  • All four wisdom teeth are missing.
  • No fillings or cavities on her teeth.
  • She had likely never been pregnant.

Clothing and accessories[]

  • Navy blue Carol Brant two-piece bathing suit with white trim.
  • No other clothing or jewelry were found.

Exclusions[]

Gallery[]

Sources[]

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