On June 20th, 1984, two fishermen spotted a horrific sight floating near the T.J. Meenach Bridge over the Spokane River, close to Spokane Falls Community College in Washington State. The nude torso of a young woman had been dumped in the water. Her body was missing its head, hands, and feet: deliberately removed, authorities believed, to prevent identification and hinder the investigation.
An autopsy revealed the victim had endured extreme violence: she had been sexually assaulted, stabbed multiple times, and then decapitated and dismembered postmortem. Forensic experts estimated she was in her early to mid-twenties, Caucasian, with evidence suggesting she had given birth to at least one child within the year or two before her death. Investigators nicknamed her “Millie” (a departure from the usual “Jane Doe”) to humanize the case and perhaps jog memories.
Despite extensive efforts, including sketches, dental records checks, and appeals for missing persons matches, no one came forward to identify her. She was buried in an unmarked grave at Fairmount Memorial Park in Spokane…