The Finley Creek Jane Doe and the Disappearance of Patty Otto:

A Conversation with Suzanne Timms and Mel Jederberg

Podcast: Murder Sheet
Air Date: October 21, 2025
Hosts: Áine Cain (A), Kevin Greenlee (B)
Guests: Suzanne Timms (C), Melinda "Mel" Jederberg (D)

Overview

This heartfelt and doggedly reported episode investigates the decades-old disappearance of Patricia "Patty" Otto from Lewiston, Idaho in 1976, and its possible link to the unidentified "Finley Creek Jane Doe" discovered in rural Oregon two years later. Host Áine Cain speaks with Patty's daughter, Suzanne Timms, and citizen investigator Mel Jederberg. Together, they detail their years of advocacy, the labyrinth of errors and lost evidence, and the emotional toll of trying to prove Jane Doe must be Patty Otto—despite official roadblocks. Central themes include family trauma, cold case frustrations, and community-powered justice.

Major Discussion Points & Insights

1. Patty Otto's Disappearance (03:38-16:05)

• Background: Patty Otto, aged 24, vanished on August 31, 1976.
• Family: Wife to Ralph Otto, mother to Natalie (age 4) and Suzanne (age 2, now 3).
• Marriage Context: Patty married Ralph (22 years her senior) as a teenager under unusual circumstances.
• Domestic Abuse: Ralph had a documented history of abuse toward both Patty and his previous wife. Patty had separated and returned home prior to her disappearance.

"My father was an alcoholic. He had previously abused his first wife and had began to abuse my mother as well. And that was witnessed by family and friends." — Suzanne (07:48)

• Night of Disappearance: A violent altercation occurred; Suzanne remembers witnessing her father dragging her mother away after a physical fight.
• Aftermath: Ralph claimed Patty left voluntarily. Suzanne and Natalie were told their mother "abandoned" them.
• Suspicious Behavior: Ralph moved Patty’s car, was found passed out with a weapon, and quickly sought out a bartender for a "hit" on a police captain investigating her case.
• Charges: Ralph was arrested for soliciting multiple murders shortly after Patty disappeared.

2. Discovery of Finley Creek Jane Doe (16:05-23:01; 30:13-40:13)

• Discovery: In 1978, hunters in Finley Creek, Oregon, found the remains of an unidentified woman.
• Evidence Handling: Due to jurisdictional complications, evidence and the body were sent to different locations; this led to major complications and confusion.
• Initial Comparison: Patty’s family was flown in to identify clothing—red pants and white blouse, exact matches to Patty's disappearance. But Jane Doe was quickly ruled out as Patty by Oregon authorities, based on questionable dental record comparisons.
• Witness Connection: Coincidentally, one of the hunters present when Jane Doe was found later became Suzanne’s father-in-law.

"It's my husband's grandfather, Lee Parr... And he starts describing how the body was laying in the grave, how him and his friend... found the jaw... how the feet were crossed over..." — Suzanne (40:16)

3. Mel Jederberg's Involvement & Investigation (16:05-30:13; 40:13-46:28)

• Origins: Mel, a native of the area with a background in criminal justice, began investigating the Finley Creek Jane Doe after being inspired by Michelle McNamara’s "I’ll Be Gone in the Dark."
• Crowdsourced Sleuthing: Mel began telling Jane Doe's story in first-person on social media to generate leads and community interest.
• Critical Error: Official documents and comparisons regarding Patty’s dental records were found to be riddled with mistakes, as Mel and Suzanne later uncovered.

4. A Case of Mistaken Identity, Lost Evidence, and Advocacy (46:28-74:21)

Evidence Mishandling & Official Obstacles

• Case Closure: The Finley Creek Jane Doe case file was accessible to Mel and Suzanne only because Oregon authorities had closed the case and ordered the destruction of the body and evidence.
• Cadaver Dogs: Multiple thorough searches yielded scent indications, but official support was limited.
• Flawed Dental Record Analysis: Official exclusion of Patty as the Jane Doe was based on unreliable or misattributed dental records, possibly confused with another Jane Doe (Annette Willits).

"They want science. They want science. That’s why." — Mel (56:59)

• Destruction and Misplacement: X-rays, evidence, and the remains were lost, misplaced, or destroyed. Oregon’s bureaucracy was deeply confused over jurisdiction, with records showing mishandling, misfiling, and miscommunication over decades.

A Serendipitous Family Connection

• Haunting Coincidence: Suzanne moved to Walla Walla, Washington, and married Rob, whose family had, years before, discovered Jane Doe’s remains. Later, likely remains of Finley Creek Jane Doe were found unclaimed at the local funeral home.

"She literally was sent here in 1990. And in 1999, I left Idaho and moved, of all places, to Walla Walla to marry the one man that I dated who happens to have found her body." — Suzanne (69:13)

The Frustration and Pain of Not Being Heard

• Official Resistance: Authorities continue to cite lack of new scientific evidence, even as all circumstantial and available forensic indicators point to Patty.
• Advocacy for the Forgotten: Suzanne and Mel urge others to take ownership of cold cases in their community and be the squeaky wheel—pressuring law enforcement through constant reminders and public advocacy.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Childhood Trauma and Memory:

  "I was told for so long that she left that night and that she abandoned us. I think I intentionally pushed every memory out of my head except this one ... I snuck up the stairs and I remember looking through this wrought iron railing ... my parents were in a physical altercation." — Suzanne (09:43)

• On Systemic Failures:

  "Every adult around us put us in danger and put us right back in that same house knowing he was responsible for her death and knowing that he was trying to kill other people to silence them." — Suzanne (26:30)

• On Official Indifference and Need for Advocacy:

  "Why doesn't she matter to these people? Why are we the ones begging to identify her?" — Suzanne (51:16)

• On Bureaucratic Errors:

  “Nobody in all those 45 years realized that there was a day between August 27th and August 28th. ... AI picked that up right away. AI would have taken that case and said, wait a minute. You can’t ask for a rule out two weeks before the person’s found. This is a mistake. It’s an obvious mistake on Oregon’s end.” — Suzanne (72:42)

• On Community Responsibility:

  "You pick up your community and you say, this person belongs to my community. We are responsible for them... We need to get their faces out there and continue to push for answers for them. And we can all do this together." — Suzanne (74:21)

• Advice to Law Enforcement:

  "If you don’t have any more information, just say you don’t have any more information. Don’t ignore emails. Don’t ignore phone calls. ... Any word is better than being stonewalled." — Mel (75:58)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:38–16:05] — Patty Otto’s marriage, family context, abuse, and night of disappearance
• [16:05–23:01] — Discovery of Finley Creek Jane Doe, initial confusion, and Oregon’s quick exclusion of Patty
• [23:01–30:13] — Suzanne’s recounting of family trauma, aftermath, and system failure
• [30:13–36:16] — Mel’s cold case advocacy and early investigation steps
• [36:16–46:28] — Suzanne’s realization and family connection; coordinating advocacy efforts
• [46:28–51:16] — Dead ends, destruction of evidence, and the search for remains
• [51:16–57:18] — Systemic inertia, flawed forensics, and authority resistance
• [72:42–74:21] — Dangers of bureaucratic errors, their impact, and grassroots action
• [74:21–77:30] — Calls to action for listeners and law enforcement
• [77:47–78:02] — Contact info for tips

Conclusion & Calls to Action

Suzanne Timms and Mel Jederberg urge the public to demand accountability and attention to long-overlooked cold cases, emphasizing the need for persistence and community-driven advocacy. They request listeners to follow the case, share information, and support efforts for justice in Patricia Otto's disappearance and the identification of the Finley Creek Jane Doe.

Contact for tips:
Lewiston Police Department: 208-746-0171 ([77:47])

Follow:

• Patty's Voice (social media)
• Finley Creek Jane Doe (social media)

This episode embodies heartbreak, grit, and the urgent need for systemic change in how unsolved disappearances are treated—offering hope and a rallying cry for the "squeaky wheels" who refuse to let the forgotten go nameless.