OAKLAND, CA -A teenage girl has been identified 57 years after she was found dead inside a California hotel room. The Oakland Police Department (OPD) announced the cold case breakthrough in a press release on Thursday, October 1, just one day shy of the 57th anniversary of the horrific incident.
Friday, October 2, would mark the 57th year since the body of a 16-year-old girl was found downtown Oakland. On October 2, 1969, around 3:30 p.m., police responded to the former Hotel St. Louis at 539 7th Street, where a woman was found dead inside a hotel room. The investigation revealed that she had died by strangulation.
It was reported by witnesses and hotel staff that the victim had entered the room with an unidentified male just after 2:45 p.m. that day. Less than 30 minutes later, staff said they heard a scream. However, the suspect had fled the scene before officers arrived, according to the press release. Because the victim had no identification on her at the time of the murder, her identity remained unknown for decades, PEOPLE reported.
After being known as "Jane Doe" for over 50 years, OPD announced that she had been previously identified as Joanne Yvonne Burdick, known as "Joanie," to her family. She was born on February 3, 1953 and was only 16-years-old when she was killed.
At the time, Taylor Morris Teaford was a potential suspect, but he was never formally charged. He was also named as a suspect in the 1967 homicide of his grandmother in Northern California.
OPD Chief James Beere said identifying Burdick would not have been possible without the assistance of the FBI and the department's homicide investigators. During a press conference, FBI Special Agent in Charge Scott Schelble said that the FBI's San Francisco field office formally joined the investigation in 2020 to assist with forensic analysis and genealogical expertise.
"Today’s announcement is about Joanie—about restoring her identity, honoring her life, and bringing long overdue closure to her family after nearly sixty years,” Schelble said. "This outcome reflects the unwavering collaboration between the FBI, the Oakland Police Department, and the Alameda County Coroner’s Office."
Schelble said investigative genetic genealogy provided new leads after traditional investigative avenues had been exhausted. FBI investigators located a living relative of Burdick who provided a DNA sample that confirmed Joanie's identity. "Those genealogical leads helped investigators locate Joanie’s brother, who voluntarily provided a DNA sample, which enabled the final identification of Joanie,” said Schelbe.
He also explained that Burdick's remains were identified "a few weeks ago," but authorities wanted time to share the news with her surviving family. "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.
OPD continues to review evidence and pursue leads as the case remains active. Anyone with information is asked to contact OPD's homicide section at 510-238-3821.
Comments