On Sunday, October 5, 1980, in a desert culvert near Arroyo Grande Boulevard and Lake Mead Drive in Henderson, Clark County, Nevada, two men driving off-road dirt bikes discovered the body of a teenage girl. She had been brutally beaten with a bladed two-by-four plank and stabbed over thirty times. For forty-one years, she was known across the Southwest as "Arroyo Grande Jane Doe."
Discovery, Clothing & Autopsy Findings
The victim was estimated to be between 14 and 18 years old, standing 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighing 105 pounds, with hazel-green eyes and bleached blond hair. She was found dressed in blue jeans, a yellow-and-white striped button-up blouse, and nylon socks, but lacked shoes.
Pathologists documented catastrophic blunt force trauma to the skull and deep puncture stab wounds to the back and chest. Distinctively, she had a small round scar on her left calf and an un-pierced left ear, with dental charts indicating all four wisdom teeth were present and intact.
Chronological Case Timeline
| Date / Year | Location | Event / Investigative Milestone |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 5, 1980 | Arroyo Grande Blvd, Henderson, NV | Body discovered in desert culvert; dubbed "Arroyo Grande Jane Doe." |
| 1980 | Clark County, NV | Buried in Henderson Cemetery in a grave marked with a numbered concrete plaque. |
| 2003 & 2015 | NCMEC Reconstructions | Forensic artists create digital reconstructions viewed millions of times. |
| 2020 | The Woodlands, TX | Henderson Police Department sends skeletal remains to Othram Inc. for FGGS sequencing. |
| Dec 2, 2021 | Henderson, NV | Police Chief Thedrick Andres announces she is 17-year-old Tammy Lee Terrell of Artesia, NM. |