The Butterfly Effect: True Crime

Albuquerque, New Mexico 1991: The body of a woman is found in a locked motel room. Over thirty years later, a photo of her and an unknown man continues to circulate nationwide, but no one has come forward to claim her.    Chaos Theory says the smallest change can alter the course of history forever. Telling her story could be that butterfly. Who is the Bernalillo County Jane Doe?

In 1991, a woman was found dead of an apparent suicide in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As I begin compiling research and records for a podcast, I quickly realize there’s more to the story than I expected. Between conflicting reports, scattered theories, and local rumors, the case of the Bernalillo County Jane Doe raises more questions than answers. Over thirty years later, the mystery remains unsolved. Who is Becca Jane Doe?

In this episode I walk you through files I've obtained so far on Jane Doe - OMI reports, evidence logs, and witness statements. But things on paper aren't exactly adding up, either. Who could tell the story better than someone who was actually there that summer night in the Super 8? And what are police still not telling me?

I break down Jane Doe's autopsy report, and the most exhaustive investigation timeline on her case, straight from the Chief Medical Investigator's notes.  

Becca Jane Doe's post-mortem reconstruction was done in 1991. It's time she was given a new face. The Albuquerque records department gives me the news I was afraid of. 

The current detective on Jane Doe's case answers questions I've had for years, including the results of the most recent DNA sample submitted for comparison between a young woman's mother and Becca Jane Doe.

George Martinez tells his side of the story to Detective Heather Chavez.     

On November 4, 2010, the remains of a man were discovered on a logging trail in Stacyville, Maine. Miles away, a community in Concord, Massachusetts was missing a beloved teacher.  This is the story of how he was brought home.

Note: This episode was recorded and produced before the announcement of Becca Doe's identity.    From social workers to business admins, forensic scientists to stay-at-home-moms, the volunteers working behind the scenes of recently solved Doe cases might not what you expect. Tracie Boyle, the case manager for the Ramapo College Of New Jersey's Investigative Genetic Genealogy program, walked me through the process of collecting DNA samples, building trees, and how it all comes together to bring the nameless back home.    Learn more about IGG: https://www.ramapo.edu/igg/  

On March 4th 2026, the Albuquerque Police Department, in conjunction with the Ramapo College Investigative Genetic Genealogy program and Parabon labs, announced the identification of Becca Doe as Rebecca Mallekoote, of Tacoma, Washington.  A full final episode of this season will be released in the coming weeks.   

Note: This episode was recorded and produced before the announcement of Becca Doe's identity.    Lisa Ivany, a Team Lead at the nonprofit DNA Doe Project, sat down with me to discuss all things IGG, the hit National Geographic show Naming the Dead, and the ways some of the coldest cases turn warm again.    Learn more about DDP: https://dnadoeproject.org/ Watch Naming the Dead now: https://www.hulu.com/series/naming-the-dead-b7fdaaa1-1b4f-40bb-9f92-d03086e103cc  

Author, researcher, podcast host and former professor Laurah Norton has been reporting on cold cases since 2017, specializing in stories that society seems to have left behind. In 2020, she and forensic anthropologist Dr. Amy Michael teamed up to breathe new life into the 1993 case of Ina Jane Doe. The amount of travel, science, and research involved was enough to fill a novel. So, she wrote one.    Purchase Lay Them to Rest: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/laurah-norton/lay-them-to-rest/9780306828829/ Listen to The Fall Line: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/ Listen to One Strange Thing: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/