Jane Doe

Status:

Open

Recovery Location:

Le Cellier, France

Summary:

A teenage girl, estimated to be around 16 years old, was found on November 25, 1982, next to departmental road D723 in Le Cellier, France, wearing distinctive red shoes and fully clothed. She was aged between 16 and 23 at the time of death, which is believed to have occurred between June and September 1982, several months before the body was discovered. Detective Franc Dannerolle noted the teenager's body was "disposed of like garbage".

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Recovery:

On a cold November morning in 1982, the body was discovered by a hunter on a piece of wasteland next to departmental road D723 (formerly main road RN23) in Le Cellier. The body was clothed in blue jeans, a white blouse, and red shoes. The body had been lying there for several months. The victim was also found with a Taxiphone telephone token, a small box of matches without a lid, and a metal keyring in the shape of Napoleon attached to her jeans. She was fully clothed and had perfect teeth, but her body was in a state of skeletonization.

Additional Details:

She was found with a British 10-pence piece in her pocket. The victim, known as "the girl with the 10-pence coin," wore distinctive objects including a British coin. The 10p coin led investigators to believe that she was either British or had been travelling in Britain before her murder. Her death is one of 46 cold cases European police are seeking to solve as part of Interpol's Operation Identify Me campaign aimed at finding the names of unidentified murdered women. During the "Identify Me" operation, Interpol recently obtained new elements allowing for a more precise composite sketch of the victim. According to reports from the time, there was no evidence of trauma suggesting an accident.

Case Last Updated:

Sep 15, 2026