CA CA - Truckee River, "Sierra County Baby Jane Doe", #UP7400 WhtFem., 0-1, Brwn hair, 4 lbs, in double-bagged trash bag, Feb’82 *DNA*

[dotr]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

NamUs #UP7400 Female, White / Caucasian
Date Body FoundFebruary 15, 1982
Location Found Sierra County, California
Estimated Age Range0-12 Months

Case Numbers​

NCMEC Number--
ME/C Case Number0145-82

Demographics​

SexFemale
Race / EthnicityWhite / Caucasian
Possible First Name--
Possible Middle Name--
Possible Last Name--
Nickname/Alias--
Estimated Age GroupInfant
Estimated Age Range (Years)0-1
Estimated Year of Death1982
Estimated PMI1 Weeks
Height1' 4"(16 inches) , Measured
Weight4 lbs, Measured
Hair ColorBrown
Head Hair DescriptionUnknown length
Body Hair DescriptionN/A
Facial Hair DescriptionN/A
Left Eye ColorUnknown
Right Eye ColorUnknown
Eye DescriptionUnknown

Circumstances​

TypeUnidentified Deceased
Date Body FoundFebruary 15, 1982
NamUs Case CreatedJuly 15, 2010
ME/C QA ReviewedSeptember 17, 2010

Location Found Map​

LocationCalifornia
CountySierra County
GPS Coordinates (Not Mapped)--
Found On Tribal Land--
Circumstances of RecoveryOn 02/24/1982 at approximately 1330 hours, a power company employee observed a black trash bag floating in the Truckee river. The employee opened the double-bagged trash bag and observed the unresponsive newborn female inside. The decedent was wrapped in a towel and was declared dead at the scene.

---

Details of Recovery​

Inventory of RemainsAll parts recovered
Condition of RemainsRecognizable face''

 

[dotr]

Who is Sierra County Baby Jane Doe (1982)?

Sierra County Sheriff's Office and Othram Partner to Identify 1982 Baby Jane Doe

dnasolves.com

''Sierra County Sheriff's Office and Othram Partner to Identify Baby Jane Doe from 1982​

More than four decades later, investigators are still working to identify an infant girl whose body was found in the Truckee River in Sierra County, California.''​

In February 1982, a Sierra Pacific Power Company worker noticed a double-bagged black garbage bag floating in the Truckee River at the Flash Dam. Upon inspection, the worker opened the bag and discovered an unresponsive White female infant. The decedent was found wrapped in a pink/red towel and was declared dead at the scene by law enforcement investigators. Days later, an autopsy was performed by the Washoe County Coroner’s Office which revealed that the infant was less than a year old, weighed four pounds, had brown hair, and was measured as 16 inches in height. The autopsy also led investigators to conclude that the infant had been dead for one week prior to the discovery of her remains. Investigators were unable to make a definitive determination about the baby’s eye color.
Since the discovery of the infant’s remains, law enforcement investigators have diligently pursued all leads about her identity. Washoe County Coroner’s Office examined tissue block samples from the infant and preserved them for evidentiary purposes. In July 2010, the case was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as case number #UP7400. Despite the exhaustive efforts of law enforcement, the infant’s identity has remained a mystery. With few leads for investigators to pursue, the case eventually went cold.
In 2022, the Sierra County Sheriff's Office partnered with Othram to determine if advanced forensic DNA testing could help establish an identity for the infant or a close relative. The investigation continues as Othram begins to build a comprehensive genealogical profile. Anyone with information that could aid in this investigation is encouraged to contact the Sierra County Sheriff's Office by calling 530-289-3700 and referencing agency case 2-820257-L.
A DNASolves crowdfund has been created to raise funds for the remaining casework costs. Anyone can contribute here.
Link to crowdfund: Who is Sierra County Baby Jane Doe (1982)?''

 

[iamshadow21]

Thank you for the thread, @dotr !

Now, I think I remember reading that infants are measured from rump to crown on another Baby Doe thread, so if that's true, the sixteen inches would be just head+torso? Anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Four pounds is tiny, though. I wonder if she was full term?

 

[dotr]

Thank you for the thread, @dotr !

Now, I think I remember reading that infants are measured from rump to crown on another Baby Doe thread, so if that's true, the sixteen inches would be just head+torso? Anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Four pounds is tiny, though. I wonder if she was full term?

Unborn baby estimates?

How to Determine Your Baby's Due Date by the Crown Rump Length

Learn how the crown-rump length determined by ultrasound can help calculate gestational age, plus what it can tell you about the baby's health.

www.verywellfamily.com

Chad Ehlers / Getty Images

''Crown-rump length (CRL) is an ultrasound measurement that is used during pregnancy. The baby is measured, in centimeters, from the top of their head (crown) to the bottom of their buttocks (rump).1
The limbs and yolk sac are not included in the measurement. The CRL can be measured starting around six or seven weeks of pregnancy up until 14 weeks.''

 

[iamshadow21]

Hmm. Looking at a BUNCH of baby stuff on Google, it is crown to heel, not rump, and sixteen is small.

Average Baby Length in the First Year: What to Expect

The average length at birth for a full-term baby is 19 to 20 inches (about 50 cm). But the range for most newborns is between 18 and 22 inches (45.7 to 60 cm).

So she's four pounds, only sixteen inches.

I was five pounds six ounces and a week early. My brother was seven. Our cousin was three and a half, full term, and I think they kept her in hospital a few weeks until she got up to a weight they were happy with.

So, she might have come early, or just have been on the small side. If this is an infanticide, that isn't likely to factor into things, but if she was, for example, a home birth or a concealed birth, her being early or small might have led to premature death, if, for example, her lungs were underdeveloped, or she couldn't latch on and nurse properly. But why then, wouldn't she be taken to a hospital? Questions.

 

[Tower]

Hmm. Looking at a BUNCH of baby stuff on Google, it is crown to heel, not rump, and sixteen is small.

Average Baby Length in the First Year: What to Expect

The average length at birth for a full-term baby is 19 to 20 inches (about 50 cm). But the range for most newborns is between 18 and 22 inches (45.7 to 60 cm).

So she's four pounds, only sixteen inches.

I was five pounds six ounces and a week early. My brother was seven. Our cousin was three and a half, full term, and I think they kept her in hospital a few weeks until she got up to a weight they were happy with.

So, she might have come early, or just have been on the small side. If this is an infanticide, that isn't likely to factor into things, but if she was, for example, a home birth or a concealed birth, her being early or small might have led to premature death, if, for example, her lungs were underdeveloped, or she couldn't latch on and nurse properly. But why then, wouldn't she be taken to a hospital? Questions.

This case is baffling to me because 16 inches is the average length of a baby at 30 weeks gestation (10 weeks premature). Babies grow much more in weight and much less in height over the last trimester of pregnancy.

I wish they said if an umbilical cord was attached. Since it is not mentioned, I would guess it wasn’t?

I wonder if this was an attempt to hide a newborn, pre-term baby? In 1982, would they find definitive signs she was stillborn or died almost immediately after delivery? The description makes it sound like this was a baby who lived for some period and then was murdered, but she would likely need medical attention to survive at that size/gestational age. She may have died from dehydration/starvation if she didn’t need oxygen and lived for a while after birth.

So, I’m guessing she was 1) stillborn, 2) died shortly after birth due to lack of medical care (oxygen or other need), 3) was too small to feed properly so died shortly after birth due to dehydration/starvation, 4) was murdered by neglect or direct intent.

This is all imo, based on working in a NICU and basic research about average baby length.

https://perinatology.com/Reference/Fetal%20development.htm

 

[iamshadow21]

This case is baffling to me because 16 inches is the average length of a baby at 30 weeks gestation (10 weeks premature). Babies grow much more in weight and much less in height over the last trimester of pregnancy.

I wish they said if an umbilical cord was attached. Since it is not mentioned, I would guess it wasn’t?

I wonder if this was an attempt to hide a newborn, pre-term baby? In 1982, would they find definitive signs she was stillborn or died almost immediately after delivery? The description makes it sound like this was a baby who lived for some period and then was murdered, but she would likely need medical attention to survive at that size/gestational age. She may have died from dehydration/starvation if she didn’t need oxygen and lived for a while after birth.

So, I’m guessing she was 1) stillborn, 2) died shortly after birth due to lack of medical care (oxygen or other need), 3) was too small to feed properly so died shortly after birth due to dehydration/starvation, 4) was murdered by neglect or direct intent.

This is all imo, based on working in a NICU and basic research about average baby length.

https://perinatology.com/Reference/Fetal%20development.htm

I am very much not a medical practitioner of any kind, but I think they can tell at autopsy whether the baby ever took breath, so long as the lungs are not too decomposed.

I agree that she was probably either preterm or very small. It could so easily be understandable if she had just been born too young, and no one would blame the family. But no medical care was sought, and she was disposed of like trash, so we have to wonder why.

 

[Caring1]