CA CA - Palm Desert, WhtFem 600UFCA, 20-25, in ravine off Hwy 74, February 1980 *id'd April 2026 - Victoria Jean Hargrove (29)*

[DS2021]

Doe Network now says she has fingerprints and dentals on file.

 

[dotr]

May 3 2023

RivCo Tackles Backlog Of 200 Unidentified Bodies: Report

The coroner's office is adding members to its team to help identify John and Jane Does, some of whom have remained unknown for decades.

patch.com

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — The Riverside County Coroner's Office hopes new funds will help achieve significant progress in addressing its backlog of unidentified remains, which as of this month numbers nearly 200, reports The Press-Enterprise.
Last month, the Board of Supervisors approved close to a half-million dollars to help the coroner's office expand its staff and pay for exhuming bodies and performing DNA tests as needed.
According to The Press-Enterprise, in a given year Riverside County is unable to identify 700 people at the time of their deaths, due to the condition of their remains or missing identification documents. The current backlog of 200 includes several people who died more than two decades ago and one man who died in the late 19th century.''

#1980-44366 | Riverside County Sheriff, CA

This female body was found down a ravine off of Highway 74, south of Palm Desert, CA.

www.riversidesheriff.org

''

 

[killer Chaser]

Someone else suggested this woman as a match on a Facebook site several days ago. She looks like a really good match. Sandra Shapiro Laplace disappeared from the Virgin Islands in 1974. Here are some photos of her. Family and Friends of Sandra Shapiro Laplace

 

[dotr]

Someone else suggested this woman as a match on a Facebook site several days ago. She looks like a really good match. Sandra Shapiro Laplace disappeared from the Virgin Islands in 1974. Here are some photos of her. Family and Friends of Sandra Shapiro Laplace

USVI - Sandra Shapiro Laplace, 27, Hull Bay, 1 May 1974

Sounds like what happens in LaPlace (VI) stays in LaPlace (VI)...No news, no nothing, no Sandra... : (

www.websleuths.com

 

[heartanium]

Case modified Feb 7, 2025, no additional public rule out's

 

[zevonfan2]

I strongly believe that this woman is Mary Michelle Sprague, missing 1979. The eyebrows and slightly drooping right eye are identical

https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/mp-main.html?id=2080dffl

 

[FlyOfDragons]

Jane Doe's NamUs case was last updated SEptember 5, 2025. There are no new rule-outs.

 

[FlyOfDragons]

On Sept. 4th I submitted Jane Doe and Denise Dorfman as a potential match. It has now been confirmed that Denise Dorfman and Palm Desert Jane Doe are not the same individual.

Jane Doe now has four exclusions on her NamUs page, which was last updated on September 27, 2025, then again on September 29th.

 

[martinko]

Elaine Robertson could be a possible match? the features seem to match and I see a resemblance between Robertson and Jane Doe:

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Elaine Marie Robertson – The Charley Project

Doe Network: International Center For Missing and Unidentified Persons

Doe Network is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to bringing awareness to missing persons and unidentified persons throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Australia.

www.doenetwork.org

Did you submit this? I think this is a strong match, both the visual similarities and the circumstances of her disappearance. I've seen her mentioned by two other people now too, so you aren't the only one to suggest her!

 

[John/Jane Doe]

Did you submit this? I think this is a strong match, both the visual similarities and the circumstances of her disappearance. I've seen her mentioned by two other people now too, so you aren't the only one to suggest her!

I don't think I ever sent Elaine

 

[Susikatze]

I don't think I ever sent Elaine

I doubt it is her. She was last seen in Washington, JD was found in CA.
Elaine was „not coherent“, whatever that means (mental episode, drug influence, disability?) when last seen. Unlikely she made it to CA, lived 8 months under the radar and ended up dead there.
She was from CA but if she was seen wandering around her campsite in WA, unlikely she returned home.

Also, JD had hazel eyes, Elaine blue.
jmoo

 

[martinko]

I doubt it is her. She was last seen in Washington, JD was found in CA.
Elaine was „not coherent“, whatever that means (mental episode, drug influence, disability?) when last seen. Unlikely she made it to CA, lived 8 months under the radar and ended up dead there.
She was from CA but if she was seen wandering around her campsite in WA, unlikely she returned home.

Also, JD had hazel eyes, Elaine blue.
jmoo

People in mental duress do strange things sometimes, and are vulnerable to manipulation and foul play. There have been so many Jane/John does who ended up very far from where they were last seen, I don't think Washington to California is an automatic rule out. The visual similarities are very striking, I think it's worth at least a proper rule out, but Moo ofc

 

[Spindlebrook]

Identified as Victoria Jean Hargrove (29) from Opelika, AL: After 46 Years, Riverside Jane Doe (1980) is Identified

 

[HopeRains]

Identified as Victoria Jean Hargrove (29) from Opelika, AL: After 46 Years, Riverside Jane Doe (1980) is Identified

 

[victoriarobinson642]

Fantastic work once again from @CarlK90245

 

[moonglow123]

Wow, poor Victoria, rest in peace. I wonder why she was hitchhiking from Alabama to California, if we can assume that's what she was doing. I'm glad she has her name back.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

With her identity now confirmed, authorities are asking the public for information that could help explain why she traveled to California and the circumstances surrounding her death.

New DNA testing identifies woman found dead in Riverside County ravine in 1980

Authorities have identified a woman found dead in Riverside County 46 years ago as a missing person from Alabama.

abc7.com

 

[dotr]

DNA identifies Opelika woman found dead in California ravine nearly 50 years later

DNA testing has confirmed that a woman whose body was found at the bottom of a California ravine nearly 50 years ago is that of a missing Opelika woman.

www.wsfa.com

''In 2025, investigators partnered with Othram, a Texas-based forensic DNA lab and genetic genealogy company, in an effort to solve the cold case.

Using advanced DNA testing, Othram developed a profile from the remains, which helped genealogists with the Riverside County Regional Cold Case Homicide Team generate new leads.

The California Department of Justice later confirmed the woman was Hargrove, investigators said.

Authorities also said the time from Hargrove’s disappearance in Opelika to the recovery of her body in California was just three weeks.

“Identifying Victoria Hargrove is just the next step in determining what happened to her and helping to get answers for her family,” said Kristen Mittelman, Othram’s chief development officer.

Now, California investigators are urging anyone with possible leads, no matter how small, to share them. Tips can be shared with Supervising Investigator Billy Hester at 951-955-0070, or by emailing [email protected].''

 

[faithx]

Press release from the Opelika Police Department:

VICKY HARGROVE COLD CASE UPDATE • Opelika, AL

www.opelika-al.gov

"The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office in California recently announced the identification of a female homicide victim as a missing Opelika woman. Investigators with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office in California utilized advanced genetic genealogy to identify relatives of an unidentified female homicide victim. Upon being notified of a potential match, the family contacted the Opelika Police Department to link the California discovery to an Alabama missing person report from 1980.

Disappearance of Victoria "Vicky" Hargrove

Victoria Jean Hargrove was last seen on January 28, 1980. She was officially reported missing to the Opelika Police Department on February 4, 1980. At the time of her disappearance, Vicky—who had recently divorced—informed her family she was leaving town and promised to call upon her arrival. That call never came.

Investigations at the time revealed that Vicky was possibly in a relationship with a former co-worker, who was also reported missing shortly after her disappearance.

The Investigation & Vehicle Recovery

In August 1980, the co-worker returned to Lee County, Alabama. Simultaneously, U.S. Marshals notified Vicky’s ex-husband that her red 1978 Datsun B210 had been recovered at a hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Witnesses in Las Vegas identified the co-worker as the driver of the vehicle; notably, no female companion was seen with him. During later questioning, the co-worker initially denied leaving town with Vicky or possessing her car. He later changed his statement, claiming Vicky gave him the vehicle as repayment for a loan. He admitted to driving the car west but claimed he abandoned it in Las Vegas after realizing he lacked the proper transfer-of-ownership paperwork.

Discovery and Identification

On February 18, 1980, hikers discovered the body of a woman in a ravine off Highway 74, near Palm Desert, California. The victim—described as a white female with brown hair—remained unidentified for over four decades.

In 2024, the Regional Cold Case Homicide Team (RCCHT) exhumed the remains for DNA testing. The resulting genetic profile led investigators to family members, who confirmed their relative had been missing since early 1980.

Current Status

The Opelika Police Department has turned over all case files to the Riverside County Regional Cold Case Homicide Team. The investigation into the circumstances of Victoria Hargrove’s death is now active and ongoing. Any information regarding this case can be reported to the Supervising Investigator, Billy Hester, at (951)955-0070, or by emailing [email protected]."

 

[Vern]

I'm wondering if the 'former co-worker' is still alive.

IMO, seems to me given the information in the past couple of posts, that on 28 January 1980, Vicky voluntarily took off westwards in her car accompanied by 'former co-worker'. Was murdered at some point before 18 February 1980 when her remains were discovered off the side of the road at Palm Desert. "Former co-worker' retains posession of her car and heads to Las Vegas where the car is abandoned and the 'former co-worker' returns to Opelika. IMO, there's the perp.

May Vicky get justice.