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Killing of Sherri Jarvis

UNSOLVED1980Near Interstate 45, north of Huntsville, Texas4 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Sherri Ann Jarvis, the victim (long known as 'Walker County Jane Doe')
Sherri Ann Jarvis, the victim (long known as 'Walker County Jane Doe') — Credit: editorial-use

On 1 November 1980, a truck driver found the body of a teenage girl near Interstate 45, about two miles north of Huntsville, Texas, beside the Sam Houston National Forest. Investigators recovered a pendant necklace and red leather sandals from the scene. An autopsy found that she had been sexually assaulted and killed by ligature strangulation.

Witnesses reported seeing a girl matching her description in the preceding hours at a Gulf station and at the Hitch ’n’ Post truck stop along Interstate 45. She asked for directions to the Texas Department of Corrections Ellis Prison Farm and said that a friend was waiting for her there. Investigators checked the prison farm, missing-person reports, and school records but could not identify her. She was buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Huntsville as an unknown victim.

Her remains were exhumed in 1999 for further forensic testing, including DNA sampling. The Walker County Sheriff’s Office formally reopened the case in 2015, and forensic artists and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children produced updated facial reconstructions over the years.

In 2020, the sheriff’s office partnered with Othram to pursue forensic genetic genealogy. DNA from preserved tissue was used to identify possible relatives, and comparison samples confirmed her identity in 2021 as Sherri Ann Jarvis, a 14-year-old from Minnesota who had been missing since 1980. Authorities announced her name publicly on 9 November 2021.

Sherri’s family thanked the investigators who restored her identity and expressed hope that the person or people responsible would be identified. No one has been charged with her killing, and the investigation remains open.

Key facts

Victims
Sherri Ann Jarvis
Date
1980
Location
Near Interstate 45, north of Huntsville, Texas
Case status
unsolved

Case timeline

  1. 1966-03-09

    Sherri Ann Jarvis is born.

  2. 1980-08

    Jarvis sends her final known letter to her mother, from Denver, after running away from state custody in Minnesota.

  3. 1980-11-01

    Jarvis's body is discovered near Interstate 45 north of Huntsville, Texas, hours after she was sexually assaulted and murdered.

  4. 1981-01-16

    The unidentified girl is buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Huntsville, Texas, under the designation 'Unknown white female.'

  5. 1990

    Forensic artist Karen T. Taylor creates a postmortem facial reconstruction drawing of the victim.

  6. 1999

    The victim's remains are exhumed for further forensic examination, including DNA sampling.

  7. 2012

    The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children releases a facial reconstruction of the victim.

  8. 2015-11

    The Walker County Sheriff's Office officially reopens the case.

  9. 2020

    The Walker County Sheriff's Office partners with Othram Incorporated to pursue identification via forensic genetic genealogy.

  10. 2021-09

    Forensic artist Carl Koppelman announces the victim's identity has been determined, pending family notification.

  11. 2021-11-09

    The Walker County Sheriff's Office publicly announces the victim's identity as Sherri Ann Jarvis.

Best coverage

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People

  • Sherri Ann Jarvis

    VICTIM

    14-year-old runaway from Stillwater, Minnesota, sexually assaulted and murdered near Huntsville, Texas, on November 1, 1980; identified via forensic genealogy in 2021.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Archival records

  • Sherri Ann Jarvis, the victim (long known as 'Walker County Jane Doe')

    portrait victim

    Sherri Ann Jarvis, the victim (long known as 'Walker County Jane Doe')

    Credit: editorial-use · Source

Places

Near Interstate 45, north of Huntsville, Texas

30.7700, -95.6401

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Sherri Ann Jarvis, a 14-year-old runaway from Minnesota, was sexually assaulted and murdered near Huntsville, Texas, on November 1, 1980. Her body went unidentified for 41 years until forensic genealogy confirmed her identity in November 2021. Her killer or killers have not been identified.
Where did the killing happen?
Near Interstate 45, north of Huntsville, Texas.
What is the current status of the case?
Status: unsolved.
More cases in Texas

Sources

  1. PRESSShe has a name: Jane Doe murdered in 1980 is 14-year-old Sherri Ann JarvisKPRC 2 / Click2Houston · 2026-07-11
  2. PRESSOfficials have positive leads in girl's 1980 slaying after remains found in Texas identifiedCBS News · 2026-07-11
  3. ENCYCLOPEDICMurder of Sherri JarvisWikipedia · 2026-07-10
  4. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — harriscountytx.govharriscountytx.gov · 2026-07-10