Fontana Jane Doe: Body Discovered In California Field In 1988
Although there is a clear post-mortem photo of her, she has remained unidentified.
A woman has gone unidentified since the 1980s, and there doesn’t seem to be much movement on her cold case. On August 15, 1988, the remains of a Black woman were located in Riverside, California, in an open field west of Sierra Avenue just north of the city. According to one database, the woman, dubbed Fontana Jane Doe, had been dead only a few hours.
Our Black Girls is an independent, reader-supported publication. If you believe in amplifying the stories of missing Black women and girls, please consider making a direct gift through PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee, or by subscribing here.
Investigators hoped that something on her person or her clothing would help identify her, but they couldn’t determine who Fontana Jane Doe was. She was said to be between 20 and 30 years old and was found wearing an evening dress, a white satin undershirt, and a white ballet tutu. It was determined that she had been murdered, but it was unclear by what method.
Fontana Jane Doe: What To Know
At the time of her disappearance, Fontana Jane Doe stood 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighed 142 pounds. She had black/dark brown hair (styled in a short afro) and brown eyes. The unidentified woman had several distinguishing marks: a semicircular inverted C-shaped healed scar above her left eye, an irregular linear scar above her right eye, a scar over her right hip, several irregular scars on her right arm, three piercings to each ear, toenail painting in red (magenta) or hot pink with dots (pictured), and prosthetic (artificial) fingernails. All 32 of her permanent teeth were present. Her dental, fingerprint, and DNA records are on file. She wasn’t wearing any jewelry.
Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact the San Bernardino County Sheriff Department - Coroner Division at 909-387-2978 or their local authorities. Her agency case number is 88-3637; Jane Doe #14-88.
Please share this story about Fontana Jane Doe to help reignite the investigation into her case. She is our sister, and her life matters.
Sources:
The Doe Network
Wikipedia
NamUs
Case Number: 88-3637; Jane Doe #14-88
Agency: San Bernardino County Sheriff Department - Coroner Division
Phone: 909-387-2978
Email:
Join the Our Black Girls conversations on Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok, as well as on the OBG Podcasts on Apple, Spotify, Google, and Anchor FM. Stay updated on the latest cases, developments, messages from survivors, and much more.