Chapter 17: The Murders of the Kern and Ventura County Jane Does

In July of 1980, the bodies of two unidentified women were found. One in an Almond Orchard in Kern County and one 4 days later, 180 miles away in Ventura County, California. No one knew who they were or who killed them. Over 30 years later, they would be connected by one individual who was already serving life for prior crimes. This is their story.

Anyone with information about the Ventura County Jane doe, or who attended the Visalia College of the Sequoias in July of 1980 and may have known her can contact the Ventura County Sheriff's Office: Major Crimes Division at 805-383-8704

for more information about the Ventura County Doe and GedMatch, please visit:
https://dnadoeproject.org/case/ventura-co-jane-doe/

Crime, P. C. (2022, April 24). Who Is the Ventura County Jane Doe? - Pop Culture Crime. Medium. https://popculturecrime.medium.com/who-is-the-ventura-county-jane-doe-9f3858d6d397

Diskin, M. V. C. S. (2018a, May 19). Criminal nature stems from childhood discord, man on trial for 1980 slayings says. Ventura. https://eu.vcstar.com/story/news/local/communities/conejo-valley/2018/05/18/thousand-oaks-murder-trial-childhood-discord-triggered-crime/624546002/

Diskin, M. V. C. S. (2018b, May 24). Past victims testify in felon’s trial over 1980 killings in Ventura, Kern counties. Ventura. https://eu.vcstar.com/story/news/local/communities/conejo-valley/2018/05/23/wilson-chouest-trial-victim-testifies-murder-trial/638521002/

Diskin, M. V. C. S. (2018c, July 12). Man sentenced in 1980 rape, murder of women found in Ventura, Kern counties. Ventura. https://eu.vcstar.com/story/news/local/communities/conejo-valley/2018/07/12/man-sentenced-1980-murder-women-ventura-kern-counties/765029002/

Farr, L. (2021, December 27). She Has a Name. Alta Online. https://www.altaonline.com/dispatches/a38378086/jane-doe-ventura-steve-rhods-wilson-chouest/

Kettler, S. (2022, April 12). Shirley Ann Soosay: Indigenous Murder Victim Went Unnamed for Decades, Until DNA Restored Her Identity. A+E Networks EMEA. https://www.aenetworks.tv/

KGET. (2021, April 23). How ‘Kern County Jane Doe’ was identified as Shirley Soosay. KGET. https://www.kget.com/news/local-news/how-kern-county-jane-doe-was-identified-as-shirley-soosay/

LaVoice, O. (2018, October 24). Kern County and Ventura County Jane Doe may be closer than ever to being identified. KGET. https://www.kget.com/news/local-news/kern-county-and-ventura-county-jane-doe-may-be-closer-than-ever-to-being-identified/1547382038/

Moore, H., & Stewart, C. (2021, May 4). California ‘Jane Doe’ identified as missing Cree woman. ICT. https://indiancountrytoday.com/news/california-jane-doe-identified-as-missing-cree-woman

Shirley Soosay. (n.d.). Unidentified Wiki. Retrieved November 12, 2022, from https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Shirley_Soosay

The Canadian Press. (2022, May 27). ‘Always hope’: Remains of Cree woman sent home to Alberta decades after disappearance. North Island Gazette. https://www.northislandgazette.com/news/always-hope-remains-of-cree-woman-sent-home-to-alberta-decades-after-disappearance/

Unsolved, S. O. T. (2021, August 13). Ventura County Jane Doe. Stories of the Unsolved. https://storiesoftheunsolved.com/2021/08/12/ventura-county-jane-doe/

Ventura Co Jane Doe. (2021, November 19). DNA Doe Project Cases. https://dnadoeproject.org/case/ventura-co-jane-doe/

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Much Love-
Courtney and Lisa