Irvine Jane Doe: Beaten, Strangled, & Set On Fire In 2009
Two brothers admitted to killing her, but a jury would declare a mistrial. In 2024, she was identified.
*Update* The City of Irvine released a statement: “The Irvine Police Department was notified a previously unidentified victim of homicide in 2009 was a missing person from Reno, Nevada. Through DNA, the victim has been identified as 14-year-old Marcia Shirree Thomas.”
"The Irvine Police Department has been committed to this case since 2009. Marcia's family remains in our thoughts during this difficult time. We appreciate the agencies that have assisted in providing crucial information to support the case and the family," said Police Chief Michael Kent.
“On November 15, 2022, Zenaido Valdivia-Guzman, 36, was convicted by a jury of one felony count of first-degree murder and the special circumstance of murder in the commission of a kidnapping. The second defendant, Gabino Valdivia-Guzman, will be tried in the future.”
Original Story:
Two brothers have admitted to killing Irvine Jane Doe; however, she has gone unidentified for over a decade. On September 5, 2009, John Ring reportedly arrived at the parking lot of his job at Pasternack in Irvine, California, around 8:30 a.m. There weren't any other cars there, but he did come across a frightening scene: a woman lying facedown in a fetal-like position. Shocked at the sight, he parked a few spaces away from the woman to get a better look before calling the authorities.
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It only took a few minutes for emergency responders to descend on the scene, and upon their arrival, they declared the woman dead. She didn't have identification on her, but the marks on her body told a tragic tale. She was battered, bruised, and bloody—Irvine Jane Doe had a swollen, blackened eye; her tongue was reportedly protruding out of her mouth, and her body had been burned. Someone set her on fire in the parking lot, and the fire department speculated that at least a gallon of gasoline had been used.
The Deadly Brothers' DNA
As investigators reportedly attempted to piece together a timeline, they learned that the cleaning crew from the evening prior didn't notice any suspicious activity between 10:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. There were no leads to help identify Irvine Jane Doe, so detectives searched the area, visiting over a dozen motels to check if she had been a guest. They watched video surveillance footage of several businesses, visited hospitals, spoke to hundreds of people, and still could not get a solid lead about the unidentified woman.
It was determined that she was between 13 and 26 years old and grew up without dental care. An examination of her body turned up DNA under her fingernail. When investigators ran it through their systems, it came back as a match to then-24-year-old Zenaido Baldivia-Guzman, an auto dealer from Santa Ana, Calif., who had reportedly been convicted of domestic violence. His older brother, Gabino, was also questioned by authorities, and it only took a few hours for the siblings to reportedly admit to killing Irvine Jane Doe.
According to them, they drank together in the evening and decided to get their work van and hunt for a woman. The mission was to find a woman for sex, and they allegedly met Irvine Jane Doe on the street in Santa Ana. After allegedly negotiating a price, she got into the van's passenger seat with Gabino behind the wheel. She was unaware that Zenaido was sitting in the back, but once she noticed him, she began to scream. Zenaido reportedly pulled her into the back of the van and beat her. The brothers described the woman as strong because she fought against her attacker. Zenaido choked her with so much force that he reportedly broke a bone in her neck and killed her.
They never got her name. They threw her cell phone in the street, making it impossible for her to be identified. They took their gas can, drove to the parking lot where they often detailed cars in Irvine, and set Jane Doe on fire.
The Charges, Arrests, & Convictions
The brothers were arrested and charged with first-degree murder. They pleaded not guilty because they claimed they didn't necessarily plan the killing and that it happened in the heat of the moment. Their attorneys argued that they should be charged with second-degree murder. However, there were no debates regarding Zenaido being responsible for instrumentalizing Irvine Jane Doe's final breath.
“I know I took someone so loved. … I do not know how to live with my conscience, because I also have a family," Zenaido Baldivia-Guzman penned in a handwritten note to the unknown family of his victim.
Irvine Jane Doe was reportedly later cremated. In 2016, Zenaido's case was declared a mistrial after a jury failed to decide on his first-degree murder fate unanimously. It is reported that they voted 11-1 in favor of guilt. As of November 2022, Gabino was still awaiting trial. The progression of his case is unknown.
Irvine Jane Doe: What To Know
A medical examiner determined that Irvine Jane Doe stood 6 feet tall and weighed 152 pounds. She had brown hair (short and curly) and brown eyes. Her ears were pierced, and she was last seen wearing a black camisole blouse, a black skirt, multi-colored animal print undershorts, and size 10 Glaze black open-toe high heels with several straps across the top. Her DNA and dental records are on file. A blue lighter was found near her body.
Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact the Orange County Coroner at 714-647-7411 (agency case number: 09-07236-RA), the Irvine Police Department at 949-724-7163 (agency case number: 09-13328), or their local authorities.
Please share this story about Irvine Jane Doe to help bring a name to the victim of this tragedy. She is our sister, and her life mattered.
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