Sandy Morden

**Sandy Morden** was a 15-year-old murdered in Oregon in 1977 by an unknown perpetrator. Her partial remains were found on February 24, 1980 along Fly Creek in Amboy, Washington. She was then known as Fly Creek Jane Doe until she was identified in October 2019.

## Events

### Life

Sandra "Sandy" Renee Morden was born on April 29, 1962 in San Francisco, California to Andrew Morden and Kathryn Long. She was an only child. She went missing sometime between March 1977 and November 1978.

### Discovery at Fly Creek

In February 1980, human bones were found in the Fly Creek area near Amboy, Washington by a father and son panning for gold. A skull was found 200 ft (60 m) south of Fly Creek and more bones were found 100 ft (30 m) further south. Forensics ascertained that the bones belonged to a teenage girl who had suffered trauma. However due to not finding an entire skeleton, not more could be known.

Investigators made facial reconstructions and sent out numerous media releases but were unable to make an identification. The girl became unofficially known as Fly Creek Jane Doe.

### Identification

It would thirty-nine years for Fly Creek Jane Doe to be identified. As the investigators for the case, Clark County asked DNA technology company Parabon NanoLabs to assist in identification.

Parabon used the DNA from the bones to create a profile of the girl's physical appearance. After completing a phenotype, they sent out a genetic data profile to a public genetic genealogy database.

Investigators contacted genetic matches and eventually talked to a woman who informed them she had a cousin who had been missing since the '70s. Her cousin was Sandra Morden. The detective who talked to the cousin later said, “For her, it was just as exciting as it was for me. It was really a cold call where I identified myself and asked her if the information I was providing her made any sense and right away she said you’re calling about my cousin Sandy."

Detectives believe Sandy was in and out of the foster care system, but don't know where she was living when she went missing.

### Aftermath

Ten years after Sandy went missing, Sandy's mother Kathryn passed away on January 26, 1988 at 44 years old in San Francisco County, California. 11 years later, Sandy's paternal grandmother Marion passed away on February 26, 1999 at 97 years old in Tucson, Arizona. Five months later, Sandy's father Andrew passed away on July 27, 1999 at 68 years old in Pacific County, Washington.

Sandy is currently only survived by non-immediate family members.

### Websleuths theories

#### Before identification

* Sandy was killed by Warren Forrest, who was convicted of killing Krista Blake in 1974 in Clark County, Washington. However, he was arrested in October 1974; meaning he was in custody when Sandy went missing.
* Sandy was killed by Ted Bundy, a convicted serial killer who had killed several women in Washington. However, he was in Florida during the time period Sandy went missing; over 2,800 mi (4,500 km) away.
* Sandy was killed by Gary Ridgway, a convicted serial killer who was found guilty of 48 counts of murder. His victims were all female and their ages ranged from 15 to 38. However, he murdered in King County (175 mi / 280 km north of Clark County), and his earliest known murder was in 1982.
* Sandy was killed by someone with "great knowledge of the Fly and Canyon Creeks"; someone local to the area, someone who was "very active", and/or well-versed on sporting and nature in the Clark County Valleys.
* Sandy had gone camping with someone near Fly Creek and that person killed her.
* Sandy was killed by someone she was in a romantic relationship with.
* Sandy had hitchhiked and was killed by the driver.

#### After identification

* Sandy went missing and a report was filed but got lost.
* Sandy went missing and no report was filed because her parents didn't notice because they thought she was with the other parent.
* "Sandy was trying to leave her father in Portland, Oregon, as he probably wasn't home enough and she felt unloved. She most likely made plans to find a way to Vancouver while he was away. Vancouver is in close proximity to Amboy, but we do not know if, in fact, she made it to her mother. I believe she got a ride to Vancouver or a close area from the wrong person, and was later dumped in Fly Creek."

## News

*For news articles on Sandy Morden, see here.*

## External links/

### Records

* Morden family tree • Ancestry (paywall)
* Sandra Renee Morden (1962 - 1977) • Geni

### Other

* 427UFWA • The Doe Network
* List of formerly unidentified decedents • Wikipedia
* Medical examiner needs public's help identifying teen found in 1980 • Clark County, Washington
* Sandy Morden • Unidentified Wiki
* #UP10799 • NamUs

## Photos of Sandy

### Reconstructions of Sandy

National Center for Missing and Exploited ChildrenNational Center for Missing and Exploited ChildrenNational Center for Missing and Exploited ChildrenParabon NanoLabs
## Sources

1. ↑ Sandra Renee Morden (1962 - 1977) • Geni
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Morden family tree • Ancestry (paywall)
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 29 Oct 2019: Cold case break: DNA technology helps identify "Fly Creek Jane Doe" • KGW
4. ↑ Warren Forrest • Murderpedia
5. ↑ Ted Bundy • Murderpedia
6. ↑ Gary Ridgway • Murderpedia