Suicide of Holly Glynn

Holly Jo Glynn (previously known as the Dana Point Jane Doe or locally as Jane Doe 87-04457-EL) was a formerly unidentified American woman who is believed to have committed suicide in 1987 by jumping off a cliff in Dana Point, California. Her true identity was not discovered until 2015, although she was seen alive before her death. In 2015, concerns were expressed by friends of Glynn that the unidentified woman may have been their childhood friend, whom they were unable to locate. Glynn was subsequently identified as the Jane Doe in May 2015. Description: Her body was discovered by joggers in the morning of September 20, 1987, within hours of her death. Examination indicated that she was a young Caucasian woman, between 18 and 23 years old, standing at 5 feet 3 inches (1.60 m) to 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 m) and weighed 127 pounds (58 kg). Her hair was strawberry-blond or light brown and long, reaching the middle of her back. She had no tattoos, distinct scars or birthmarks, although she did have freckles and there were healed acne marks on her back. She had pierced ears, dental fillings, an A positive blood type and may have carried a child at one time during her life. It was also possible that she had braces at one time as well. She wore a tan dress, men's underwear and turquoise-colored shoes, all of which were believed to have either been second-hand clothing or hand-me-downs. At the top of the cliff, a can of Coca-Cola, a purse containing coins, a packet of cigarettes and a map were found. A cab company's phone number was written on the map, which was later used by investigators to contact a driver who had apparently provided transportation to a female that matched her description. Witness account: Glynn called the cab company at 4 a.m. and asked to be picked up from a hotel in Mission Viejo in southern Orange County. A taxi driver claiming to have picked the woman up stated she told him that her car had broken down (although no abandoned vehicles were located in the area) and she requested to be transported for as far as $18 would bring her, as she could not afford to be taken to Laguna Beach, California. He described her as appearing unhappy and did not speak often. Before this, the woman was seen at the cab company and had used the bathroom. After dropping her off at the intersection of Cove Road and Scenic Drive, the driver saw the decedent walking toward the cliff, which was the last time she was reported to have been seen alive. Death and investigation: It is believed that the woman climbed over a fence at the cliff and jumped. Other theories included that she may have been pushed or accidentally fallen. She initially survived the fall and had moved somewhat before her death, leaving impressions similar to that of a snow angel. The purse in the Dana Point Jane Doe's possession was embossed with a woman's name, Carol Pinkham. Authorities proceeded to search for women who had the name, all of whom were still alive. One told investigators that her purse, the same color as the one owned by the Jane Doe, was stolen 12 years earlier, in 1975. Pinkham did not know who had committed the theft, and no person has ever been charged or identified as the thief. The body of the Dana Point Jane Doe was eventually cremated and buried at sea. In efforts to trigger recognition from those that may have seen the victim in life, a sketch of the woman was created by a forensic artist from the Orange County Police Department. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children later released a rendering in 2014. 2015 developments: Glynn was identified in May 2015 finally after friends from Whittier, California, unable to find their friend through social media or through other conventional means, reported to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) and the Doe Network in 2011 that they believed the Dana Point Jane Doe was Holly Glynn. Eventually, the friend contacted the "Help ID Me" page on Facebook, managed by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and reported it in 2014. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department Coroner Division contacted the surviving relatives of Holly Glynn and DNA comparisons were conducted. It was eventually announced by Unsolved Mysteries that Glynn was identified through the DNA comparison.