NV RENO JANE DOE: W/HF, 35-45, found buried in rock pile in Reno, NV - 9 June 1997 *LORENA MOSLEY*

​

998UFNV - Unidentified Female​

Reconstruction of the decedent.

Date of Discovery: June 9, 1997
Location of Discovery: Reno, Washoe County, Nevada
Estimated Date of Death: 1997
State of Remains: Decomposed
Cause of Death: Unknown

Physical Description​

Estimated Age: 35-45 years old
Race: White and/or Native American
Sex: Female
Height: 5'2"
Weight: Unknown
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Left side of the mandible had been fractured and repaired during her life. Metal plate held ramus and alveolar portion of mandible

Identifiers​

Dentals: Available. Metal orthopedic plate on the left side of the jaw with four screws. Tooth #17 missing antemortem.
Fingerprints: Available.
DNA: Not available.

Clothing & Personal Items​

Clothing: Black padded long sleeve jacket with bright orange inner lining, reddish-brown western style multi-colored shirt, Camel Cigarette T-shirt, Braxton blue jeans (size 10), light gray and white athletic shoe on the left foot (size 5.5), and a white sock on the left foot.
Jewelry: Yellow-colored small oval Elgin watch, white metal necklace with a metal whistle attached, yellow and copper bracelet, dream catcher earring, black Bolo tie with arrowhead stone, black and silver colored metal ring with magenta colored stone-bears inscription "1992" and "Oakridge", silver colored ring in the shape of two hearts.
Additional Personal Items: Black and white comb and sunglasses.

Circumstances of Discovery​

The woman's remains were found partially buried in a rock pile off Hoge Road.

Investigating Agency(s)​

Agency Name: Washoe County Sheriff's Office
Agency Contact Person: N/A
Agency Phone Number: 775-328-3001
Agency E-Mail: achandler(at)washoecounty.us
Agency Case Number: 0667-97

Agency Name: Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner's Office
Agency Contact Person: Marika Morris
Agency Phone Number: 775-785-6114
Agency E-Mail: mmorris(at)washoecounty.us
Agency Case Number: Unknown

Agency Name: Reno Police Department
Agency Contact Person: N/A
Agency Phone Number: 775-334-2115
Agency E-Mail: askrpd(at)reno.gov
Agency Case Number: Unknown

NCIC Case Number: Unknown
NamUs Case Number: 7713
Former Hot Case Number: 185

Information Source(s)​

NamUs
Clark County Coroner's Office

998UFNV

#JaneDoe was found buried in rock pile in Reno, #NEVADA on 9 June 1997. She wore an 'Oakridge 1992' ring.

Estimated Age: 35-45 years old Race: White and/or Native American Sex: Female Height: 5'2" Weight: Unknown Hair Color: Brown

www.crimewatchers.net

 

[Kimster]

While moving this thread per request, I noticed that there was a ring on her finger that said Oakridge. There’s a town not too far from me with the same name!

 

[Guess Who]

While moving this thread per request, I noticed that there was a ring on her finger that said Oakridge. There’s a town not too far from me with the same name!

which makes me wonder if she might have possibly been younger, but only that alone makes me question it. We have seen it before too many times where they got the age/race wrong enough that people weren't looking at the right possible matches.

 

[Mel70]

Yeah. That makes me wonder if it was a class ring and she graduated in 1992. So she would have been 22. If they were to find me in the same state I can bet they would guess me older due to trauma on my skeleton and Osteoporosis.

 

[Mel70]

Two hearts. Maybe it was an unconventional wedding ring and was married in 1992. I wish there was a picture. Alot of girls in my class chose a ring that had a heart on each side that had a stone.

 

[Sunburst]

Oak Ridge, TN? There are also Oak Ridge high schools in Conroe, Texas and another in Florida.
Oakridge High School is in Muskegon, MI.

 

[Mel70]

Oak Ridge, TN? There are also Oak Ridge high schools in Conroe, Texas and another in Florida.
Oakridge High School is in Muskegon, MI.

Nice. Thanks Sunny.

 

[Mel70]

There is one in Eldorado Hills, CA. 2 hrs away.

 

[Mel70]

Well I couldn't find any matching missings in Eldorado Hills or the county.

 

[Sunburst]

If she was Class of 1992, the high school reunion committees will be gearing up very soon to start planning those 30th reunions. Maybe reach out to those high schools and/or reunion committees on their social media?

Just MOO, but bolo tie says "Texas" to me.

 

[Mel70]

If she was Class of 1992, the high school reunion committees will be gearing up very soon to start planning those 30th reunions. Maybe reach out to those high schools and/or reunion committees on their social media?

Just MOO, but bolo tie says "Texas" to me.

Well I have Bolo. There were in for awhile about that time.

 

[kdg411]

Pardon my ignorance on this topic ... are bolo ties made for women or are they universal?

 

[Guess Who]

Pardon my ignorance on this topic ... are bolo ties made for women or are they universal?

I've seen them being worn by both

 

[Mel70]

Pardon my ignorance on this topic ... are bolo ties made for women or are they universal?

When I bought mine it was in a women's clothing store. They have been known to be worn mostly by men. But when I bought mine they were in at the time. They are or were popular western wear. I will find mine and take a picture.

 

[Kimster]

It says the ring has stone bears on it. What are stone bears? Here’s a picture of the Oakridge high school logo as it was in 1992. It’s not the same logo now. I was looking to see if they were the Bears.

Reno is a pretty easy drive from Oakridge Oregon.

 

[Sunburst]

Pardon my ignorance on this topic ... are bolo ties made for women or are they universal?

Both men and women. Years ago they were extremely popular in TX and AZ.

 

[Sunburst]

It says the ring has stone bears on it. What are stone bears? Here’s a picture of the Oakridge high school logo as it was in 1992. It’s not the same logo now. I was looking to see if they were the Bears.

Reno is a pretty easy drive from Oakridge Oregon.

Ummm, the stone is magenta.

" bears inscription...."

 

[kdg411]

Oak Ridge, TN? There are also Oak Ridge high schools in Conroe, Texas and another in Florida.
Oakridge High School is in Muskegon, MI.

Oak Ridge, TN are the Wildcats

High School in Oak Ridge, TN | Oak Ridge High School

Oak Ridge High School. 4-year public high school, established in 1943 in Oak Ridge, TN with an enrollment of approximately 1,550 students grades 9 through 12. Call today to learn more!

www.ortn.edu

Oakridge Muskegon, MI are the Eagles

Home - High School

Our Mission Through partnerships, with pride, and in a safe and healthy environment, Oakridge offers diverse personalized, and innovative curricular and extracurricular Read More of Home

oakridgeschools.org

Oakridge Conroe, TX are the Eagles

Oak Ridge High School (Montgomery County, Texas) - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Oakridge Orange County, FL are the Pioneers

Home

oakridgehs.ocps.net

Oakridge ElDorado Hills, CA are the Trojans

Oak Ridge High School - Home

orhs.eduhsd.k12.ca.us

 

[Kimster]

Both men and women. Years ago they were extremely popular in TX and AZ.

They’ve been popular in Nevada too. I’m very familiar with the Reno area because That was the nearest city to the small town where I grew up.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Who is Washoe County Jane Doe (1997)?

Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office Teams with Othram to Identify 1997 John Doe

dnasolves.com

Summary​

In June 1997, rock climbers dicovered the remains of an unidentified woman buried under stones in a shallow grave in Reno, Nevada. Detectives estimated that the remains belonged to a white woman between the ages of thirty-five and forty-five years. The woman was 5’2” in height and she had brown hair at the time of her death. Her weight and eye color could not be determined. Investigators noted that during the woman's life, the left side of her mandible was fractured and repaired by the placement of a metal plate. Due to the condition of the woman's remains, the cause of her death could not be determined. However, the case details led investigators to conclude that her manner of death was homicide.

Several items of clothing were recovered along with the unidentified woman’s remains, including a pair of dark blue dungaree trousers, size 5.5 light gray and white athletic shoes, white socks, and a black padded long sleeve jacket with bright orange inner lining. The victim was also found wearing a yellow oval "Elgin" brand watch, a black and silver colored metal ring with magenta colored stone bearing the inscriptions "1992" and "oakridge", and a silver colored ring in the shape of two hearts, and a bronze colored bracelet. Within the vicinity of the crime scene, investigators found a bolo tie with a black braid, an arrow-shaped white and black stone, and a metal whistle.

Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP7713. A forensic reconstruction was created to depict how the woman may have looked like during her life. Despite the efforts of law enforcement to identify the woman, no leads yielded a match and the case went cold.

In 2023, the Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract that was used in Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the unidentified homicide victim. Othram's in-house forensic genetic genealogy team used the profile in a genetic genealogy search to develop investigative leads that were returned to the Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office.

In a follow-up investigation led by Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office Medicolegal Death Investigator/Technician Supervisor Sarah Turner, old paper fingerprint records were positively matched to fingerprints taken from the body after death, with assistance from the FBI. The unidentified woman is now known to be Lorena Gayle Mosley (AKA Lorena Gayle Sherwood). Mosely was 41 years old at the time of her death.

The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate this cold case. If anyone has information relating to this investigation, please contact the Detectives’ Division at 775-328-3320.

A substantial portion of the casework costs associated with Othram's testing and investigative research was contributed by Project Justice, a philanthropic effort to reduce the backlog of unsolved cases. We are grateful to those who supported this effort so that we could assist law enforcement in working this case.