Marin County Jane Doe remains identified 60 years later

TIBURON, Calif. - It was nearly 60 years ago when a body was found near a cliffside in Tiburon. For several decades her identity was unknown to those who found her and the authorities. 

However, Othram Labs, a Texas-based forensic laboratory that works with law enforcement, was able to positively identify the remains as Dorothy Jean Vaillancourt.

The backstory:

On Dec. 19, 1966, a hunter came across the remains of a woman near Paradise Drive, according to the forensic lab. Authorities said the woman was between 45 and 60 years old, standing at 5 feet 2 inches, weighing around 105 pounds, and had auburn hair. 

At the time of her death, Vaillancourt was wearing a red cotton dress and an off-white trench coat.

Authorities at the time tried unsuccessfully to identify the woman and the circumstances leading up to her death. 

The Marin County Sheriff's Office and the California Department of Justice (CA DOJ) collaborated with Othram to identify Jane Doe's remains.

Local perspective:

The California DOJ said in May 2008, 17 years ago, the Marin County Sheriff's Office submitted a DNA sample to the state's Missing Persons DNA Program with the hopes that advancements in technology would yield a match.  

In 2022, the DOJ was contacted by Othram about their pilot program and requested cases where there were no other leads, the Marin County Sheriff's Office said. 

Eventually, Othram was able to get a familial match, and the Marin County Sheriff's Office Coroner's Division contacted the family, obtained a comparison sample, and confirmed the match through the DOJ, sheriff officials said.

What we don't know:

It's unclear how Vaillancourt died. A report from DNA Solves said Vaillancourt didn't have enough money for a taxi ride home and sought shelter at a local fire station, but was turned away.

Dig deeper:

Before she was positively identified, Vaillancourt's body was buried in Mt. Tamalpais Cemetery and Mortuary in San Rafael as she was presumed dead.

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