By S.M. | 08/26/2020

Vancouver Jane Doe

August 10, 2000 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

On August 10, 2000, a woman who looked to be in her late thirties walked onto the Arthur Laing Bridge in Vancouver, BC. It was a warm, sunny day; she wore a heavy tweed green and black overcoat. She climbed over the guard rail and fell onto Southwest Marine Drive.

In her pocket was a page torn from a phone book containing a list of services in the Downtown Eastside. This enabled investigators to trace her movements in the days before she died.

Several shelters in the area recognized the woman with hazel eyes and slightly curly, greying hair, but did not know her name. Another person recognized Jane Doe as a sex worker in the New Westminster area, and said that she had recently been kicked out of her residence by an ex-boyfriend. The source said that Jane Doe did not want to continue with the lifestyle in which she found herself.

She had no drugs or alcohol in her system and showed no signs of previous drug use. Police don’t believe she had been on the streets for long.

The circumstances of Jane Doe’s death are complex, but not unique. Research shows that domestic violence is commonly cited as the leading cause of homelessness for women; women escaping DV who are of a lower socio-economic status are more likely to experience mental health issues. Jane Doe faced a flawed system, in a situation that wasn’t her choice. We don’t know the full story, or where she came from, but someone does.

Vancouver Jane Doe was approximately 30 to 49 years old, and 5’10” to 5’11” tall. She had scars on both knees, a small scar on her upper left arm, a scar on her right hand, and was missing the fingernail on her right index finger. She also wore a black blouse, a white t-shirt and black shoes. She had no tattoos, no jewelry and no other distinguishing features or scars.