page_title: List of unidentified murder victims in California
section_title: San Mateo County John Doe (1975)
hierarchical_section_title: List of unidentified murder victims in California / San Mateo County John Doe (1975)
caption_attribution_description: English: Shoes found with an unidentified murder victim from California
context_page_description: In California, there are many murder victims in the category of unidentified decedents, whose identities remain unknown. In most of these cases, their murderers have never been identified.
context_section_description: The remains of a child aged nine to twelve were recovered on October 20, 1975, after an initial discovery on October 13 in a wooded area in Woodside, San Mateo County, California. The victim was determined to be white and had been deceased for between one and three years before his skeleton was found. The child was about four feet seven inches to five feet tall, and of an indeterminable weight. He likely did not have access to dental care, as many problems were noticed in his teeth. The body was found clothed. A pair of size seven to seven and a half boots, a blue, long-sleeved sweater, and crucifix made of wood were found near the remains. Additionally, rosary beads and a jacket liner with multicolored stripes were recovered.
  The body was initially believed to be that of an adult female until the victim was concluded to be a male around the age of eleven. Signs of homicide were not initially found at first, although it was eventually discovered that the child died due to a fracture inflicted on the skull. It is speculated that the victim may have been a "migrant worker." Investigators appealed to the public for tips leading to the child's identification without success.
caption: Boots worn by the San Mateo John Doe
exif: {}