Dorothy Jane Scott disappeared on May 28, 1980, in Anaheim, California. Her remains were found four years later. No arrests have ever been made in her case, which has been called one of the strangest disappearances ever.
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Victim
Scott was a 32-year-old single mother, living in Stanton, California, with her aunt and 4-year-old son. She was a secretary for an Anaheim, California store that sold psychedelic items (i.e. love beads, lava lamps). Co-workers and friends said she preferred staying at home, was a devout Christian, and did not drink or do drugs. Her parents, who lived in Anaheim, babysat their grandson while Scott worked. Scott's father, Jacob, said his daughter may have dated on occasion but had no steady boyfriend that the family knew of.
Prior to abduction and murder
Months before her abduction, Scott had been receiving anonymous phone calls at work from an unidentified male. She told her mother she recognized the voice but couldn't remember the man's name. The caller alternately told Scott of his love and devotion and threatened to kill her. The man also said he'd been stalking her, and provided accurate details of her day-to-day life to prove it.
Scott's mother said one call especially horrified her daughter. The man reportedly told Scott he would get her alone - and when he did, he would dismember her. Because of the calls, Dorothy considered buying a handgun; about a week before her disappearance, she began taking karate lessons.
Disappearance and murder
On May 28, 1980, Scott was at an employee meeting at work. She noted co-worker Conrad Bostron didn't look well and had a red mark on his arm; she and another co-worker, Pam Head, took Bostron to the emergency room at UC Irvine Medical Center. Medical personnel determined he had suffered a black widow spider bite and treated him; Head said she and Scott remained in the E.R. waiting room. At no time, Head said, did Scott leave her side.
Bostron was discharged around 11 p.m. and given a prescription. Scott offered to bring her car to the exit; she didn't want Bostron to walk too far in his condition, as he was still not feeling well. Head said Scott used the restroom briefly before heading out to the parking lot.
Head and Bostron filled his prescription and waited at the exit for Scott; when they didn't see her after a few minutes they went out to the E.R.'s parking lot. Suddenly, they saw Scott's car speeding toward them; its headlights blinded them so they couldn't see who was behind the wheel. They waved their arms to try to get Scott's attention, but the car sped past them and took a sharp right turn out of the parking lot. Initially, both thought Scott had an emergency come up with her son. A few hours later, after not hearing from her, Head and Bostron reported Scott missing.
Scott's car, a white 1973 Toyota station wagon, was found burning in an alley about 10 miles from the hospital. Neither she nor her supposed kidnapper were anywhere nearby.
Discovery
In August 1984, a construction worker discovered human bones on Santa Ana Canyon Road. A turquoise ring and watch were also found. The bones were identified as Dorothy Scott's. Scott's mother said the watch had stopped at 12:30 a.m. on May 29 - about an hour, she said, after Pam Head and Conrad Bostron last saw Scott's vehicle. An autopsy could not determine the cause of death.
The motivation for Scott's abduction and murder is unknown.
Mysterious phone calls
Every Wednesday until the spring or summer of 1984, an unidentified man would call Vera Scott, Dorothy's mother. He said either that he had Dorothy or had killed her. The calls were usually brief, and usually occurred when Vera was home alone. In April 1984, the man called during the evening; Jacob Scott answered. The calls stopped after that.
Police installed a voice recorder at the Scott residence. They weren't able to trace the calls, however, because the man never stayed on the line long enough.
A possible motivation in Scott's murder surfaced June 12, 1980. An unidentified man called the front desk at the Orange County Register (the paper had run a story that day about the case). A managing editor told police the man said, "I killed her. I killed Dorothy Scott. She was my love. I caught her cheating with another man. She denied having someone else. I killed her." The editor also said the caller knew Conrad Bostron had suffered from a spider bite the night of May 28. He also knew, the editor said, that Scott had been wearing a red scarf. Neither of these details had been published in the June 12 article. The caller also claimed Scott phoned him from the hospital that night.
Investigators believe the anonymous caller was responsible for Scott's death.