Warning: this article contains photos of the deceased, which some may find disturbing
She was a petite woman with shoulder length brown hair. Police say she was sexually assaulted, brutally beaten, and strangled before her body was dumped in a river in Alabama. This is the tragic story of the woman known as Miss X or Jayne Doe. Forty two years later, her real name and identity are still unknown.
The Details
Her body was found by three people fishing in the Black Warrior River near Robinson's Bend between the Romulus and Fosters communities southwest of Tuscaloosa. Ironically, her body was found in a slough called Slaughter Creek. She had been left near the water's edge behind a large log. The police thought she had only been dead for 24 to 48 hours. Because of this, they were able to take post-mortem photographs of the woman's face. They were hopeful that, with the photographs and her description, she would be identified quickly. 42 years later, the woman has yet to be identified. The police believed the woman was not a local resident. She may have been a drifter.
Witnesses
After the body was found, some witnesses came forward who had encountered a man and woman near where the body was found only a day or two earlier. They described the woman as being very similar in appearance to the victim. The witnesses said that the woman asked them for help with a car that was stuck in the mud on Robertson Cemetary Road. According to the Doenetwork.org,
Witnesses saw a woman matching the victim's description on April 16, 1982 with a man about 35-40 years old. The pair's vehicle, a 1973 or 1974 Ford LTD with a dark vinyl top with possible front-end damage, was stuck in a muddy area along Robertson Cemetery Road. The woman asked the two witnesses for help, while the man remained in the vehicle and was visibly upset. He swore and blamed the woman for the accident. He was further described as white with a ruddy complexion and was about 6'1" tall at a weight between 180 and 200 pounds.
The Victim
The physical description of the victim is as follows: Estimated Age: 30-40 years old
Race: White
Sex: Female
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 110 to 115 lbs.
Hair Color: Dark brown to black, shoulder length
Eye Color: Brown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Somewhat ruddy complexion. Scar over right eye, beneath eyebrow. Her ears were not pierced. She did not use nail polish, or regularly file her nails. Evidence of a prior pregnancy. She had done manual labor. Dentals: Partial upper denture plate. The partial denture replaced the upper right central and lateral incisor teeth.
Clothing: Preppy button-up, long-sleeved light blue shirt; blue knit pants with an elastic waistband; a white bra; white panties; size seven grey tennis shoes. Manner of Death: Strangulation. Victim was severly beaten about the head and there was also evidence of a brutal sexual assault.
Updates to the Case
The Tuscaloosa Police have never closed the case or given up on finding the identity of the woman. It remains the second oldest cold case in Alabama. In 2023, Tuscaloosa investigators worked with FACES, the Forensic Anthropology and Computer Enhancement Services Lab at Louisiana State University. FACES created new images of the victim using the 1982 photos and medical records. They believe these images give a more lifelike appearance of what the woman may have looked like. Those images can be seen below. It is uncertain whether Tuscaloosa investigators plan to use new DNA techniques to identify the woman.
Buried Unknown
The body of the woman was kept for eight months in the Tuscaloosa County Morgue. In February of 1983, a Circuit Court judge granted a petition for burial and her body was laid to rest in Sunset Memorial Park in Northport. A gravestone was later erected that says "Jayne Doe, Feb. 18, 1982." She was actually laid to rest in 1983. The press referred to her often as Miss X.
Someone Knows Something
It's hard to believe that this woman remains unknown after 42 years. She could be someone's sister, friend, aunt, or even someone's mother. The autopsy showed that she may have previously given birth. Her name could be Debbie or Linda or Ann - but she was not Jayne Doe or Miss X. She deserves to have her name restored. Someone has to know something about this woman or the mysterious man in the '73 or '74 Ford LTD car who was seen in the vicinity where her body was found. If you have any info or believe you may know who this woman was, please contact the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office at (205) 752-0616.
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