The Nameless
Astoria, New York Jane Doe (1998)

She Still Has No Name — Justice Begins, But Her Story Isn’t Finished 

For nearly three decades, she has been known only as “Jane Doe.” No family has been able to lay her to rest under her true name, no loved ones have had the chance to mourn her properly, and no one has come forward to say, “She was ours.” 

On January 12, 1998, the body of an unidentified Hispanic woman between the ages of 25 and 35 was discovered hidden inside a bed at the Turf Motel in Astoria, Queens, New York. She had been strangled with a scarf, and investigators believe someone deliberately tried to conceal her. She was approximately 5’1″, weighed 143 pounds, had long black hair, brown eyes, and was wearing blue jeans, a white knit sweater, an orange T-shirt featuring a flag and Statue of Liberty emblem, a black bra, floral-print underwear, white socks, and a scarf.

For years, her case remained heartbreakingly silent. Although investigators preserved DNA, fingerprints, and dental records, her identity remained a mystery. She became another victim without a name, another life seemingly forgotten by time. But the people working her case never stopped searching for answers.

Decades later, advances in DNA technology brought a major breakthrough. In 2023, evidence collected from the crime scene was retested, and prosecutors allege it linked convicted killer Jose Velasquez to her murder. Already serving a lengthy prison sentence for the 1999 strangulation death of another unidentified woman in Brooklyn, Velasquez has now been charged in connection with this 1998 homicide. While this marks an important step toward accountability, the most important question still remains unanswered:

Who was she?

Somewhere, someone may still recognize her clothing, her description, or remember a woman who suddenly disappeared in early 1998 and was never seen again. She deserves to be remembered by her real name, not simply as “Jane Doe.” Her family, wherever they may be, deserves the truth and the chance to finally bring her home.

If you have any information that could help identify this woman, no matter how small it may seem, please contact the New York Police Department Detective Francis Noonan at 929-273-9861 or francis.noonan@nypd.org, or contact FBI ViCAP at 800-634-4097 or vicap@fbi.gov.

🤍 Justice is finally moving forward, but her identity is still missing. Please share her story. One person may recognize her and help give her back the name she has been without for far too long.

Sources:
JANE DOE – ASTORIA, NEW YORK — FBI 
JANE DOE – ASTORIA, NEW YORK – Case Investigation | CrimeOwl AI 
Killer convict now charged in cold case 1998 Queens motel strangulation of Jane Doe 
Missing: JANE DOE – ASTORIA, NEW YORK | MissingWanted.com 
Convicted killer, 59, charged with strangling another ‘Jane Doe’ woman to death inside NYC hotel in 1998: DA 
Killer convict now charged in cold case 1998 Queens motel strangulation of Jane Doe – Manhattan Daily 
NY – ASTORIA, NEW YORK Jane Doe Female | Websleuths
1105UFNY