Summary
In December 2021, a shoe containing a foot was found near the mouth of the Elwha River in Port Angeles, Washington. The discovery was made by an individual who reported what he had observed to the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators activated Search and Rescue in the area and recovered the shoe several hours later. Investigators observed that the shoe’s label was a woman’s size 8 New Balance brand shoe. Due to the limited recovery of the woman’s remains, investigators have been unable to make a definitive determination about the woman’s age, ethnicity, height, weight, hair color, or eye color during her life.
Since the discovery of the unknown woman’s remains, investigators have diligently pursued various leads about her identity. Despite our efforts, the woman’s identity has remained a mystery. With few leads for investigators to pursue, the case eventually went cold.
In 2022, the Clallam County Sheriff's Office partnered with Othram to determine if advanced forensic DNA testing could help establish an identity for the woman or a close relative. A DNASolves crowdfund has been established to cover casework costs. If you want to contribute, you can do so here.
Anyone with information that could aid in this investigation is encouraged to contact the Clallam County Sheriff's Office by calling the Tip Line at 360-417-2540 and referencing agency case 2021-00023819.