NC DUNN JANE DOE: W/HF, 17-24, found in wooded area in Timothy community near Newton Grove in Dunn, NC - 20 Jul 1999 *VICTORIA MEJIA PAREDES*

204UFNC - Unidentified Female

Reconstructions of the victim; enhanced images of victim's watch and footwear.

Date of Discovery: July 20, 1999
Location of Discovery: Dunn, Sampson County, North Carolina
Estimated Date of Death: 2 months prior
State of Remains: Not recognizable - Decomposing/putrefaction
Cause of Death: Undetermined, considered suspicious

Physical Description
Estimated Age: 17-24 years old
Race: White and/or Hispanic
Gender: Female
Height: 5'4 to 5'7"
Weight: Unknown
Hair Color: Red or auburn, curly and long.
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Slim build. Remnants of bluish-green iridescent polish on fingers and some toes.

Identifiers
Dentals: Available. She had good dental health and never had a cavity. No sign of stain, calculus or bone loss. Posterior mandibular teeth show extensive occlusal wear. Teeth #17 and 32 missing antemortem.
Fingerprints: Not available.
DNA: Available

Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: Black tank top with spaghetti straps, green Calvin Kline jeans, lavender panties with lace borders, and a dark blue bra with lace and padding. A pair of beige or white flip-flops were located in the appropriate position to her body, It is unknown if they are hers, but they likely are.
Jewelry: Wearing an Elle analog watch with a yellow metal band on her left wrist.
Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Circumstances of Discovery
A man riding his all-terrain vehicle in a wooded area in the Timothy community near Newton Grove discovered the victim's decomposed remains 100 yards from the Eugene Roberts or Inez Labor Camp on Easy Street. Women were known to traffic at this camp. The discovery year listed on the LE source is 1990, however, it has been verified that the correct year is 1999.

Investigating Agency(s)
Agency Name: North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
Agency Contact Person: Clyde Gibbs
Agency Phone Number: 919-966-2253
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 99-5394

Agency Name: Sampson County Sheriff's Office
Agency Contact Person: N/A
Agency Phone Number: 919-592-4141 or 910-564-5261
Agency E-Mail: cid@intrstar.net
Agency Case Number: Unknown

NCIC Case Number: U270000482
NamUs Case Number: 6183
NCMEC Case Number: 1107394

Information Source(s)
NamUs
NCMEC
Sampson County Sheriff's Office

204UFNC

The area where #JaneDoe was found deceased was a known area for human trafficking, near Newton Grove in Dunn, NC - 20 Jul 1999

Black tank top with spaghetti straps, green Calvin Kline jeans, lavender panties with lace borders, and a dark blue bra with lace and padding. A pair of beige or white flip-flops were located in the appropriate position to her body, It is unknown...

www.crimewatchers.net

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

After 23 years, woman's remains found in Sampson County identified

In 1999, the remains of a young woman were found in a wooded area in northern Sampson County. For 23 years, her identity remained a mystery.

abc11.com

After 23 years, woman's remains found in Sampson County identified​

In 1999, the remains of a young woman were found in a wooded area in northern Sampson County. For 23 years, her identity remained a mystery.

On Thursday, the Sampson County Sheriff's Office said it was "pleased to announce a significant development" in the cold case.


In August 2021, hair samples were sent to Astrea Forensics for DNA testing. In January 2022, the DNA samples were sent to The Kin Finder Group for inclusion in the genealogy databases.

In June 2022, the sheriff's office caught another break when a person notified the office that they had come across a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Facebook post about the unidentified remains in Sampson County.

The tipster told the sheriff's office that they believed the remains could be those of Victoria Dolores Mejia Paredes, known to have a daughter in California. When contacted, the daughter agreed to provide a DNA sample for kinship testing.

Approximately a week later, The Kin Finder Group said information from Family Tree DNA indicated a link between the remains and people with the surname Paredes. The Kin Finder Group found that the Paredes family originally hailed from Honduras, with several members living in the United States. The ethnic results from the DNA supported the possibility of Hispanic/Honduran heritage.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children helped the San Jose Police Department to collect Mejia Paredes' daughter's DNA. In December 2022, the sample was submitted to FTDNA for comparison, and in January, The Kin Finder Group received confirmation of a parent/child relationship between Mejia Paredes' daughter and the unknown DNA.


In 1999, Mejia Paredes was 21 years old and living in Honduras with her family.

She was in a relationship with Vayardo Meza, with whom she had a daughter. Meza was living in Rose Hill and arranged for her to join him in the United States.

She left Honduras around January or February of 1999 and her family lost contact with her. Meza eventually returned to Honduras in April 2000 and told Mejia Paredes' family that she had left him and not returned.

Mejia Paredes was never reported as missing to law enforcement, and to deepen the difficulty in getting answers, Meza died in Honduras sometime around 2000 or 2001.

Throughout the investigation, interviews were conducted with Mejia Paredes' and Meza's family members.

It's not clear whether Mejia Paredes was the victim of foul play. The sheriff's office did not name Meza nor anyone else as a suspect and the circumstances of Mejia Paredes' death remain murky.

 

[Kimster]

I wonder why the reconstructions show her as having red hair?

 

[Guess Who]

I wonder why the reconstructions show her as having red hair?

Dark hair often sunbleaches out to reddish. I could easily see it happening if she was out in the elements.