Who was she? Houston Jane Doe remains unidentified 42 years later

An artist's rendering of Houston Jane Doe and her distinctive tattoos (Copyright 2025 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.)

March 1, 1983. A woman is struck and killed on the Katy Freeway in Houston.

Her face is intact. Her fingerprints are on file. She has multiple tattoos—letters, symbols, dots—but no one has ever come forward to identify her.

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Who was she? And why, after all these years, is she still Houston Jane Doe?

She was likely between 20 and 30 years old, Hispanic or Asian, around 5′6″ to 5′8″, and weighed between 120 and 130 pounds.

She had black hair, brown eyes, and multiple tattoos: a small “C” on her right shoulder, a cross with dots near her wrist, a letter “P” with dots on her left arm, and an “N” or “Z” on the web of her left thumb.

She was wearing a green short-sleeved shirt, blue jeans, and white tennis shoes. Inside her beige purse, investigators found a comb, some papers, and a plaid skirt, but nothing to tell them who she was.

Decades later, her case remains open. Her full NAMUS profile, including a post-mortem image, can be viewed here.

If you recognize her or these tattoos, contact the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences at 832-927-5000 or the Texas Department of Public Safety at 512-424-5074.


About the Author
Holly Galvan Posey headshot

Holly joined the KPRC 2 digital team in March 2024, leveraging her eight years of expertise in blogging and digital content to share her passion for Houston. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring the city's vibrant scenes, all while balancing her roles as a wife and mother to two toddlers.

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