"Becca"
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| "Becca" | |
|---|---|
 File:Becca1991fbi.png Cropped version of a photo of the decedent found at the scene. | |
| Born | 1956-1973 |
| Status | Unidentified as of July 10, 2023 |
| ca. June 3, 1991ca. June 3, 1991 | |
| Cause of death | Hanging |
| Body discovered | June 5, 1991 Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Other names | Bernalillo County Jane Doe, Albuquerque Jane Doe |
| 💼 Occupation | |
| Known for | Unidentified decedent |
Becca is the alleged name[1] of an unidentified deceased woman who was found in a Super 8 Motel in Albuquerque, New Mexico during the evening of June 5, 1991. She is also known as Albuquerque Jane Doe and Bernalillo County Jane Doe. Her case is notable in that she has remained unidentified for over 30 years despite having a photo of herself found at the scene.
Circumstances[edit]
Between 21:30 and 23:00 on June 3, 1991, a man named Eduardo Colin rented a room for 2 people at a Super 8 Motel in Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, New Mexico. He paid in cash, and the clerk gave him room 233. He was to check out on 5 June by 11AM.
When staff realised that room 233 had not been checked out as expected, a security guard went to the room to find it locked with a "do not disturb" sign on the door.[2] The door was dead-bolted from the inside, and staff had to use a screwdriver to unlock the door. Once inside, staff found a body hanging from the shower head by what police later identified as a suitcase strap. Police were called, and an investigation quickly determined the cause of death to be a suicide.[2]
Among the personal effects found on the scene included a dark blue or black suede purse, a grey woven pocketbook, a digital scale with the name “George Martinez” written on it, multiple beer bottles, a packet of cigarettes and a wallet containing five 100 dollar bills (worth $1118.11 in 2023),[3] photos (including one of the victim with an unidentified man), and a receipt of purchase. No identification was found on the scene.
The victim was found to have died with heroin in her system.
In March 2021, a tip was received by the FBI that the decedent may have gone by the name Becca, and may have resided in the Reseda or Sylmar areas of Los Angeles.[1]
Physical characteristics[edit]
The decedent weighed 140 pounds and was 5'7" (67 inches; 170.18 cm) tall, with hazel eyes and "sandy/strawberry blonde" hair described as "long and curly." She also had pierced ears.[1] Estimates for her age range from 25 to 35 years old,[4] although other estimates put her between 18 and 35 years old.[1] The original police report gives her age as 22.[2]
Investigation[edit]
The clerk who had served Eduardo Colin on 3 June did not mention seeing a woman with him when he rented the room. She also stated that Colin could have said he was a trucker, though she “couldn’t quite remember”. When shown the photo of the victim with an unidentified man that was found at the scene, the clerk identified the man in the photograph as Eduardo Colin.
Police were not able to track down Colin at first, but when they did it had been “several years” since the initial investigation in 1991. When contact was made with his family, they informed the police that Mr Colin had passed away a few years prior to the police making contact to them. When Colin’s family were also shown the photo of the victim with the unidentified man, they stated that the man in the photo was not Colin. This went against the clerk’s earlier statement that the unidentified man was Colin, causing the police to be unable to ever identify the man in the photograph with the victim.
Colin’s family were also shown the guest slip that was filled out by him on June 3, 1991, and were able to confirm that it was Colin’s handwriting. They also found that all other details Colin had provided at the motel were true, apart from a false license plate.
The door was dead-bolted and locked from the inside, and the windows were also locked from the inside, meaning that if someone were with the victim when she died it would have been impossible for them to leave and each of these things still be intact. This is one piece of evidence consistent with her death being a suicide.
The autopsy report from the Albuquerque Police Department concluded that the Jane Doe found on the scene died by intentionally hanging herself.[2] Since then, at least 16 missing women have been ruled out as matches.
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "JANE DOE - ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Archived from the original on 2023-06-19. Retrieved 2023-06-19. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "AlbuquerqueJaneDoeedit.pdf". Google Docs. Archived from the original on 2023-06-19. Retrieved 2023-06-19. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "CPI Inflation Calculator". www.bls.gov. Archived from the original on 2022-10-27. Retrieved 2023-06-19. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)". NamUs.gov. Archived from the original on 2019-06-09. Retrieved 2023-06-19. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help)
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