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[CRIME] · United States · 3 sources

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Oakland police identify 1969 Jane Doe as Joanne Yvonne Burdick

cold case forensic genealogy Oakland Police Department Jane Doe identification strangulation homicide

The Oakland Police Department and the FBI have identified a 16-year-old girl, Joanne Yvonne Burdick, who was found strangled to death in an Oakland hotel 57 years ago. Known for decades as “Jane Doe,” Burdick’s identity was confirmed through forensic analysis and a DNA sample provided by a relative.

The victim was found on October 2, 1969, in a room at the former Hotel St. Louis in downtown Oakland. Witnesses and hotel staff reported seeing Burdick enter the room with an unidentified man shortly before a scream was heard. The suspect fled the scene before law enforcement arrived.

Authorities previously identified Taylor Morris Teaford as a potential suspect in the homicide. Teaford, who had been on the FBI’s “Most Wanted” list and was suspected in another homicide, remains unaccounted for. Oakland Police Chief James Beere and FBI Special Agent in Charge Scott Schelble stated that the identification provides long-overdue closure to the victim's family.

Entities

FBI · Hotel St. Louis · Joanne Yvonne Burdick · Oakland Police Department · Taylor Morris Teaford

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Sources

Law Enforcement Today [lawenforcementtoday.com]
57 years later: Jane Doe identified after being found strangled in Oakland hotel [localnewsmatters.org]
16-Year-Old Strangled to Death at Hotel 57 Years Ago Is Identified: ‘Long Overdue Closure’ [www.usmagazine.com]