Belle in the Boot
A woman's remains were found in a sleeping bag near a freeway in Pacific Palisades, California. She was wearing expensive Western boots. Her identity remains unknown.
On November 1, 1996, a woman's decomposed remains were found in a sleeping bag alongside the Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California. The body had been there for an estimated two to four weeks.
The woman was wearing distinctive, expensive Tony Lama Western boots, which led investigators and the public to dub her 'Belle in the Boot.' She was estimated to be between 25 and 45 years old, approximately 5'4" tall, with brown hair.
Despite extensive investigation by the LAPD, comparison with missing persons databases, facial reconstruction, and DNA profiling, the woman has never been identified. Isotope analysis suggested she may have spent time in the southeastern United States.
The case remains one of Los Angeles's most puzzling unidentified person cases. She is listed in NamUs and the Doe Network.
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Have Information About This Case?
Cold cases are solved when someone comes forward. Even a detail that seems minor can matter. If you have any information about this case, contact law enforcement through one of these channels:
- FBI Tips (tips.fbi.gov) — submit a tip online to the Federal Bureau of Investigation
- FBI Tip Line: 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324)
- NamUs (namus.nij.ojp.gov) — the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System maintains records of unidentified remains and accepts public information
- The local police department or sheriff's office in California, or the state bureau of investigation
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