Jane Doe - San Mateo County, California

Authorities found this unidentified woman on June 6, 2006 inside a tent along a service trail south of San Pedro Avenue, just off of Highway 1 in Pacifica in San Mateo County California. The tent contained many books, including two Bibles with several scriptures noted, a “Busy Women’s Journal” and Harry Potter.



Dental work is all the San Mateo County Coroner’s Office has to determine her identity.

The woman is believed to be in her 40s. An anthropology report places her age between 33 years old and 46 years old. A dental report estimates her age anywhere from 25 years old to 40 years old. She weighed approximately 130 pounds and was between 5 feet 4 inches tall and 5 feet 6 inches tall. She had brown, straight and stringy hair with gray streaks. Yellowing of the cranial bones suggest possible tetracycline therapy for acne.

Her body was badly decomposed, and they couldn't determine a cause of death. There were no signs of trauma and some of the woman's writings indicate that she intended to starve herself to death.

Her fingerprints were run and they revealed her picture, a name, date of birth and place of birth. It was all fake.

At one time she had been booked into San Mateo County Jail by the California Highway Patrol. The problem is when she was booked in she gave a false name. She said she was Sam Smith. The woman gave a date of birth of Jan. 20, 1960 with a birthplace of Louisville, Ky. The Coroner’s Office did not find any record of a Sam Smith matching her description in Jefferson County, Ky.

The only thing the Coroner’s Office knows for certain is the woman once received high-quality dental work. The Coroner’s Office is hoping a dentist somewhere may recognize her face and remember performing the work, Gamble said.

She was wearing: Gray colored fleece jacket with zipper (LL bean's men XL) Navy blue nylon/Dacron pants (Cherokee XL) Dark blue pants with waist snap/ Drawstring (Merona M)

Anyone with information about this woman should contact Senior Deputy Coroner Kristine Gamble with the San Mateo County Coroner’s Office at (650) 312-5562.