NM ALBUQUERQUE JANE DOE: WF, 25-35, found in motel room in Albuquerque, NM - 5 June 1991 *BECCA MALLEKOOTE*

644UFNM - Unidentified Female



Artistic rendering of the victim by Detective Mary Brazas; Victim's personal effects and photo

Date of Discovery: June 5, 1991
Location of Discovery: Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, New Mexico
Estimated Date of Death: 2 days prior
State of Remains: Decomposing/putrefaction
Cause of Death: Hanging

Physical Description​

Estimated Age: 25-35 years old
Race: White
Sex: Female
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 140 lbs.
Hair Color: Strawberry blond, 18cm in length
Eye Color: Hazel
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown

Identifiers​

Dentals: Available; natural teeth, impacted wisdom teeth
Fingerprints: Available
DNA: Unavailable

Clothing & Personal Items​

Clothing: Multi-colored bikini underwear, size M/6; multi-colored (white, pink, red, yellow) Trends tank top; white denim Guess Product by Georges Marciano jeans, zippers near lower legs, size 31.
Jewelry: Wide metal (silver/gold color) bracelet (see photo); 3 white metal earrings
Additional Personal Items: Found in the room: dark blue or black suede purse and patterned pocketbook (see photo); $500 in cash; suitcase with women's clothing (see photo); photobooth picture (see photo)

Circumstances of Discovery​

The decedent was located in a motel room, locked from the inside, at a Super 8 Motel, by a motel security guard. She was hanging from the shower head by a suitcase strap. No identification was found in the room.

Based on a recent tip, it is believed the decedent's name is "Becca" or "Rebecca" and is from the Los Angeles County area, possibly Reseda or Sylmar. It is believed she flew from California to New Mexico prior to her death.

Investigating Agency(s)​

Agency Name: New Mexico State Medical Examiner's Office
Agency Contact Person: Wendy Honeyfield
Agency Phone Number: 505-272-3053
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 1991-03004

Agency Name: Albuquerque Police Department
Agency Contact Person: Detective Heather Chavez
Agency Phone Number: 505-768-2020
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: Unknown

NCIC Case Number: Unknown
NamUs Case Number: 2926

Information Source(s)
Namus

644UFNM

This is a picture of #JaneDoe, who was located in locked motel room, at the Super 8 Motel, by motel security guard in Albuquerque in 1991

Estimated Age: 25-35 years old Race: White Gender: Female Height: 5'7", Measured Weight: 140 lbs., Measured Hair Color: Blonde, 18cm long. Eye Color: Hazel

www.crimewatchers.net

 

[Akoya]

Bernalillo County Jane Doe

The victim was located in a locked motel room, at the Super 8 Motel, by a motel security guard. She was hanging from the shower head by a suitcase strap.

 

[Akoya]

 

[Akoya]

https://unidentified.wikia.org/wiki/Bernalillo_County_Jane_Doe_(1991)

Bernalillo County Jane Doe (1991)

Bernalillo County Jane Doe was a young woman who was found hanging in a motel shower. Her death was ruled a suicide.

Case
The decedent was found June 5th, 1991, in Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, New Mexico. It is believed she had been dead for two days. She hanged herself from the showerhead, using a suitcase strap, in her Super 8 Motel room. The room was locked (bolted from the inside) and had to be opened by a security guard.

She had an array of belongings in the room, most notably a photograph of herself while alive. It was a photo booth picture with an unidentified male. In it, she is making a face at the camera as he smiles slightly.

The other items included a full suitcase, a dark blue or black suede purse, a gray woven pocketbook, $500 in cash, and a digital scale with the name "George Martinez" written on it. (It has not been verified if this is the name of the man in the photograph.) There were also beer bottles and cigarettes.

The Jane Doe wore a "Trends" brand multi-colored tank top (that appears to be a pink and white tie-dye design, though the coroner's report says there was also yellow and red on the shirt). She also had multi-colored bikini underwear (black, green, purple and pink, size M/6), and white denim slacks with zippers near the lower lateral aspect of legs. They were size 31 "Guess Product by Georges Marciano" brand. Her jewelry consisted of three white metal earrings and a wide bracelet made of a silver/gold colored metal.

Physical Description
She could have had Hispanic ancestry.
She had curly strawberry blonde hair.
Her eyes were hazel or grey.
No scars, marks, or tattoos were noted.
She had heroin in her system at the time of death.

Bernalillo County Jane Doe

Sex Female
Race White
Location Albuquerque, New Mexico
Found June 5, 1991
Unidentified for 27 years
Postmortem interval Days
Body condition Decomposed
Age approximation 25-35
Height approximation 5'7
Weight approximation 140 pounds
Cause of death Hanging (suicide)

 

[Akoya]

https://www.facebook.com/MissingHom...e-new-mexicowe-need-the-pub/1782262262047282/

Missing & Homeless added a new photo to the album: Unidentified Doe's Found.
November 6, 2016 ·
Unidentified Jane Doe ~ Found June 5, 1991 in Albuquerque, New Mexico

We need the public's help. Do you know my name? Who was I? Please Share and help find her family!

- For more informtion: Who is Albuquerque Jane Doe?

- See more Unidentified People: www.facebook.com/media/set/…

* #MissingHomeless #Missing #JaneDoe #ID #Unidentified

 

[Akoya]

Super 8 Motel, Albuquerque, New Mexico

 

[Akoya]

AJD: George Martinez : gratefuldoe

 

[Akoya]

Super 8 Albuquerque/Midtown

 

[Akoya]

 

[FightingCrime247]

Wasn't sure about posting this here but it is a Facebook post from Dustin at NamUs about her case and it does contain some possibly useful information.

 

[Whatsnext]

Police: Woman found dead in 1991 in New Mexico may have been from San Fernando Valley

Based on a recent tip, investigators believe the woman’s name is Becca; and she’s possibly from Reseda or Sylmar.

www.dailynews.com

 

[GrandmaBear]

Odd that that article says police aren't providing much about her cause of death etc. when it was said all along she hung herself so why would they say that now?

What woman carries a purse and wallet with no ID?

Unbelievable there are actual pictures and yet something like 27 years and no ID? How can that happen? And not only pictures of her but a guy she was with too. Did they find him or no? Two not found or named? What name was the room rented under? Not saying it was a legitimate name. How far and wide did they put out her picture? Anyone try to get it on national news at least once?

Even now they have a first name only...

As to cause of death I just can't imagine hanging by shower. I guess it is possible no doubt but the height is such that you'd have to be committed I guess. I mean inmates hang themselves with no more height in their cell than that...

And then we even have a name etc. on the heroin scale, etc.?

I'm sorry but it just makes one wonder how hard they tried to identify her back then...

 

[Grungster]

Odd that that article says police aren't providing much about her cause of death etc. when it was said all along she hung herself so why would they say that now?

What woman carries a purse and wallet with no ID?

Unbelievable there are actual pictures and yet something like 27 years and no ID? How can that happen? And not only pictures of her but a guy she was with too. Did they find him or no? Two not found or named? What name was the room rented under? Not saying it was a legitimate name. How far and wide did they put out her picture? Anyone try to get it on national news at least once?

Even now they have a first name only...

As to cause of death I just can't imagine hanging by shower. I guess it is possible no doubt but the height is such that you'd have to be committed I guess. I mean inmates hang themselves with no more height in their cell than that...

And then we even have a name etc. on the heroin scale, etc.?

I'm sorry but it just makes one wonder how hard they tried to identify her back then...

It does not appear a lot what was done at the time of Becca's death. When the new detective started working on this case, a lot of evidence had been destroyed. He believes that this case would have been solved if they still had those items.

Yes, based on the information from 2020, they were able to identify and speak with the man in the photo.

 

[Kimster]

It does not appear a lot what was done at the time of Becca's death. When the new detective started working on this case, a lot of evidence had been destroyed. She believes that this case would have been solved if they still had those items.

Yes, based on the information from 2020, they were able to identify and speak with the man in the photo.

I never caught the fact they identified the man in the photo!

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

APD identifies woman after 35 years using investigative genetic genealogy

According to APD, Mallekoote was born in Tacoma, Washington, in 1973, and today would have been her 54th birthday.

www.koat.com

APD identifies woman after 35 years using investigative genetic genealogy​

The Albuquerque Police Department has identified a woman nearly 35 years after her disappearance.

The woman, who has been known as "Becca Doe" for the last 35 years, was identified by APD as Becca Mallekoote through a collaborative effort involving forensic genealogy and extensive multi-agency cooperation.

According to APD, Mallekoote was born in Tacoma, Washington, in 1973, and today would have been her 54th birthday. Police say she was 18 at the time of her death.


In December, an OMI investigator contacted Ramapo College in New Jersey to conduct a genealogy investigation. By January 2026, investigative leads pointed towards a half-brother and stepfather in California.

The FBI and APD were able to work closely together to identify the stepfather in Ventura, California, who confirmed he had last seen Becca in 1991 when she left the Los Angeles area.

Detectives followed this lead and were able to locate the half-brother, who provided a DNA sample to police and confirmed that Becca was the man's half-sister with 100 percent confidence.

"Becca's identity was discovered through collaboration between multiple agencies and advancing technology," Heather Jarrell, chief medical examiner, says. “With this kind of partnership and a new frontier of forensic genealogy, I’m optimistic that we will be able to provide more answers to more families who mysteriously lost a loved one.

 

[Kimster]

Oh wow! I’ve always wanted to know who she was! I’m so thankful for DNA genealogy.

 

[Mel70]

I remember this case now. Very odd circumstances.