Potential Match For Devil's Gate Jane Doe (1972)
Hello everyone!
I have been researching the cold cases of Elko County, Nevada, and the highly probable connection between the local 1970s Jane Does. While looking closely at Devil's Gate Jane Doe (NamUs UP #11310), I came across a missing person profile that was only recently added to the system: Deborah Lee Hudler (NamUs MP #154427), who went missing from Denver, Colorado, in May 1972. The physical, medical, and geographical overlaps between them are striking. Here is a breakdown of why this matches perfectly
Height and Build: Jane Doe's height is listed as exactly 5'5" (65 inches). Deborah Hudler’s missing profile lists her height as exactly 5'5" as well. This is an exact match.
Age and Skeleton State: Jane Doe’s age was estimated at 15–18. Deborah was 13 at the time of her disappearance. However, Jane Doe's remains were partial, severely skeletonized, and degraded after spending an entire hot summer in the desert (the torso was never recovered). Given the post-mortem interval and the lack of a complete skeleton, a tall 13-year-old could easily fit into this biological range.
Hair Color: Jane Doe is described as having long, golden/strawberry blonde hair with curls at the ends. Deborah's hair is listed as reddish-brown. It is a well-known taphonomic fact that human hair sun-bleaches and lightens significantly when exposed to the intense desert sun for months.
The Dental & Fluoride Connection: Jane Doe had a very specific trait: brown-stained teeth with white mottling (fluorosis), indicating she was raised in an area with high fluoride levels in the water. In the US, this is heavily prevalent in parts of Texas and Colorado. Deborah went missing from Denver, Colorado, which explains the environmental stain on Jane Doe's teeth. Furthermore, Jane Doe had an extreme upper tooth projection (prognathism) and no dental work/fillings.
The Chipped Tooth: NamUs specifically notes that Jane Doe had a partial missing tooth #8 antemortem (a lifetime chip on her front right central incisor). If you look closely at Deborah’s second available photograph (which I have attached), she appears to have a very visible chip or alignment issue on that exact front tooth. The Footwear and Size Discrepancy: Jane Doe wore a pair of "La Fisa" 4-inch platform clogs. What always puzzled researchers was the tiny shoe size listed in the report: US 4 to 4.5 (approx. European 34-35). For a 5'5" teenager estimated to be up to 18 years old, a size 4 shoe is exceptionally rare. However, for a 13-year-old child who is going through a rapid height growth spurt but whose feet haven't fully grown yet, this tiny shoe size makes complete sense. She likely wore these platforms to look taller and more adult while on the run.
Timeline and Interstate I-80: Deborah Hudler disappeared from the Fort Logan psychiatric hospital in Denver on May 23, 1972. Jane Doe was found on October 2, 1972, but the FBI laboratory report established a post-mortem interval of 4 to 12 weeks, placing her death as early as July 8, 1972. The distance between Denver and Elko is roughly 600 miles, connected directly via Interstate 80 corridor—a notorious route for hitchhikers and active serial predators in 1972.
A Final Thought on the Elko County Series: The FBI's earliest estimated date of death for Devil's Gate Jane Doe (July 8) aligns almost perfectly with the estimated time of death for Starr Valley Jane Doe, who was found nearby on July 14, 1972. Could Deborah have been traveling with an older friend she met on the road, with both girls falling victim to the same predator during the July 4th holiday weekend?
Since Deborah's profile was created so recently, I highly doubt a manual comparison has been done yet. I strongly feel this is worth submitting to the Elko County Sheriff's Office.
What are your thoughts on this comparison? Thank you all for reading!