Police in Oakland in conjunction with the FBI have identified a Jane Doe found dead in the city 57 years ago, the Police Department said Thursday.
On Oct. 2, 1969, at about 3:30 p.m., officers in Oakland responded to the former Hotel St. Louis at 539 Seventh St. after receiving a report of a woman found dead in a room there.
Investigators determined the cause of death was strangulation but were unable to identify the female.
Witnesses and hotel staff reported seeing the victim enter the room with a white or Native American male just after 2:45 p.m. That same day, and less than 30 minutes later, staff heard a scream.
The suspect left before officers arrived.
Identity confirmed by DNA
On Thursday, the victim previously known as Jane Doe was identified as Joanne Burdick, known as “Joanie” to her family. Burdick was 16 years old.
According to police, during the original investigation, Taylor Morris Teaford was identified as a potential suspect in Burdick’s homicide. He was also named as a suspect in the 1967 homicide of his grandmother in Northern California.
OPD Homicide Cold Case Investigators and the FBI made Burdick’s identification possible through their collaboration.
FBI investigators located a living relative of Burdick who provided a DNA sample that confirmed her identity.
“Thank you to every single individual who worked on this case, past and present, for caring enough to give Joanne her name and to give her family closure,” said the Burdick Family in a release from the police department.
Oakland police continue to review evidence and pursue leads as the case remains active, the department said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Oakland Police Department Homicide Section at 510-238-3821 or the Homicide Tip Line at 510-238-7950.
