Jane Doe #79: Los Angeles, 1988–2011
An unidentified Black woman found unconscious in an alley near Inglewood, California on January 8, 1988, spent more than two decades cycling through hospitals and convalescent homes without ever being identified.[1] She died in a nursing home in Los Angeles on October 12, 2011, at approximately 71 years of age, still unknown.[2] The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner carries her case as number 2011-08342; she is listed on NamUs as UP10011.[1]
Discovery and Background
On January 8, 1988, a woman was found "down in an alley" near Inglewood, California, suffering from head trauma. She was transported to a hospital in Inglewood and subsequently entered the Los Angeles County hospital system. She was never able to identify herself to medical or convalescent staff, and she remained a Jane Doe from the date of her admission through her death more than 23 years later.[1]
She died on October 12, 2011, in a nursing home in Los Angeles.[1][2] The Los Angeles Times Homicide Report logged her death as a homicide and designated her "Jane Doe #79," with cause of death recorded as blunt force trauma — referring to the injuries sustained in the original 1988 assault that progressively led to her death.
Description
The following physical characteristics are documented in the NamUs case record and the LA Times Homicide Report:[1][2]
- Sex: Female
- Race/Ethnicity: Black / African American
- Height: 63 inches (5'3"), measured
- Weight: approximately 127 lbs (estimated)
- Hair: Gray or partially gray
- Eye color: Unknown
- Estimated age at death: approximately 71 years (NamUs range: 70–99)
- No clothing or accessories were documented at the time of death.
- No tattoos, jewelry, or other identifying accessories are recorded in available sources.
No photograph, facial reconstruction, or composite image of this woman has been made publicly available despite more than two decades in identifiable condition in state care.[1]
Investigation
The case is owned by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, which assigned it case number 2011-08342.[1] No formal identification has been made, and no official exclusions of missing persons candidates are documented in publicly available sources.
No DNA profile or submission for this case is recorded in NamUs. No fingerprint records are referenced in any available public source.
Potential Missing Person Lead
Almeta Syed, a Black female last seen in Los Angeles, California on March 6, 1987, has been noted as a potential candidate by missing persons researchers. Syed was born March 1, 1912, making her 75 years old at the time of her disappearance. She stood 5'5" and weighed approximately 120 lbs. She wore a full set of upper and lower dentures and a metal 25th wedding anniversary ring. Her case on the Charley Project was last updated April 26, 2005, with no recorded resolution.[3]
The geographic overlap — both women were connected to Los Angeles — prompted the comparison. However, a significant discrepancy exists: the Jane Doe was estimated to be approximately 71 years old at the time of her death in 2011, which would place her birth year around 1940. Syed, born in 1912, would have been approximately 99 at the time of the Doe's death in 2011. This age gap of roughly 28 years has not been formally reconciled, and the comparison remains speculative. No official comparison or exclusion has been documented by the Medical Examiner or any law enforcement agency.
How to Help
The case is held by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner under case number 2011-08342. The NamUs profile is available at the link below.
Anyone with information that might assist in identifying this woman is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's office or submit a tip through NamUs.
- NamUs case: UP10011
- LA County Medical Examiner, Los Angeles, California — Case 2011-08342
References
- "NamUs Case UP10011." National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. namus.gov
- "Jane Doe #79." Los Angeles Times Homicide Report. homicide.latimes.com
- "Almeta Syed." The Charley Project. charleyproject.org