On the morning of November 10, 1979, a local farmer walking along Route 20 in Caledonia, Livingston County, New York, discovered the body of a young girl lying in a cornfield. She had been shot twice—once in the head and once in the back—during a violent overnight rainstorm. Known for thirty-five years as "Caledonia Jane Doe" or "Cali Doe," her unsolved homicide became one of the most famous unidentified decedent investigations in American history.
Discovery, Clothing Evidence & The Tan Corduroy Jacket
The victim was approximately 13 to 19 years old, 5 feet 3 inches tall, and 120 pounds, with wavy brown hair. Pathologists noted she had died just hours before discovery.
Investigators meticulously preserved her wardrobe: a distinctive red nylon-lined tan corduroy jacket with sherpa fleece lining, blue denim bell-bottom jeans, and turquoise-and-silver Native American handcrafted jewelry. Livingston County Sheriff John York made identifying the girl his life's personal crusade, keeping her case file on his desk for over twenty years and ensuring she was buried with dignity in Greenmount Cemetery under a headstone reading "Unidentified Girl."
| Date / Period | Jurisdiction / Entity | Forensic Event & Milestone |
|---|---|---|
| Late 1979 | Brooksville, Florida | Sixteen-year-old Tammy Jo Alexander runs away from home; family assumes she started new life. |
| Nov 10, 1979 | Caledonia, NY | Body discovered in cornfield off Route 20; logged as NamUs UP6292. |
| 2010 | National Advocacy | Forensic artist Carl Koppelman creates definitive digital photoreconstruction of Cali Doe. |
| Aug 2014 | Hernando County, FL | Childhood friend Pamela Dyson files missing report after searching for Tammy on social media. |
| Jan 26, 2015 | Livingston Co. SO / FBI | Mitochondrial DNA match confirms Cali Doe is Tammy Jo Alexander; active homicide hunt launched. |