A Jane Doe Story

by Sharon Elliot, lot 36

A really interesting real story.

Yesterday I received a call from an 805 area code with the name of Kylie. I did not recognize the caller and ignored it. Later seeing she had left a voicemail and my phone informed me that the voicemail was 51 seconds long. My thought was that this is going to be “blank” or the largest sales pitch to date. As I listened to it, I was mesmerized and I called Kylie back. 

Kylie, who lives in Sisters Oregon has a young family member for whom she wanted to build a family tree.  So she donated her DNA to a search program. The search program sent the DNA to the Doe Project, formerly known as The Jane Doe Project. 

One day in 2020 Kylie received a call from the Sheriff’s department in Oklahoma City with the information that her DNA matched a murder victim. The victim had been killed 40 years ago by 3 gunshots and a dime she had in her pocket. Her body had been left on the Canadian River bank covered with lime to destroy the body but moisture from the river bonded with the lime and preserved her. The body thereafter was known as “lime lady”. Her body was found by fishermen and later buried in an unmarked grave. But detectives had been plagued with the case and continued to investigate. 

The “lime lady” was identified as Tamara Tigard, an army soldier and the second cousin to Kylie. According to the Oklahoma Sheriff, the Army wants her to be buried with honors. Kylie and her brother, with help from the Army, are bringing Tamara’s remains to Sutherlin for internment at the Valley View Cemetery on Monday, April 18th at 11 am. Tamara will be buried beside her parents, James Lee and Patricia Tigard who were residents of Sutherlin. The story can be read by googling “lime lady”. I encourage you to do so. 

Kylie and her brother ask if anyone who knew the Tigards, veterans, or members of the army be there for support. All they have other than us would be a piper. Please mark your calendars to be at the gravesite. I will check with the Valley View Cemetery to locate the gravesite and let you know later. 

I informed Denny Cameron, and Gwen Best to inform the local veteran’s group of the event. Lion Kyle Schmidt, the local Army recruiter will also be updated. Members of the SKP park will be informed too.

ps:  Kylie has, in her Sisters Community, formed a Go Fund Me to cover the traveling expenses with anything beyond to be sent to the Doe Project. (Go Fund Me has a large administrative cost so any donations should given be in cash or check, should you desire.) She is asking for $21.00 dollars to be donated as Tamara was murdered on her 21st birthday.