Real Crime/Paranormal/Conspiracy Theories Book III

Unsolved Murder of Dorothy Jane Scott

Dorothy Jane Scott disappearedon May 28, 1980, in Anaheim, California. She had driven twoco-workers to the hospital after one had been bitten by a spider.While they were waiting for a prescription to be filled, Scott wentto get her car to bring it around to meet them. Her car approachedthem, but it sped away; neither could see who was driving as itsheadlights had blinded them. They reported her missing a couple ofhours later, after not hearing from her. In the preceding months,Scott had been receiving anonymous phone calls from a man who hadreportedly been stalking her. He had threatened to get her alone and"cut [her] up into bits so no one will ever find [her]".

In June 1980, a man called the OrangeCounty Register, a local newspaper that had published a story on thedisappearance, and claimed that he had killed Scott. Police believethe caller was Scott's killer. From 1980 to 1984, Scott's mother Veraalso received phone calls from a man who claimed to have Scott or tohave killed her. None of the calls could be traced, however, becausethe caller would not stay on the line long enough. In August 1984,partial remains were found and later identified as Scott's. Noarrests have been made in Scott's case.

Background

Scott was a single mother living inStanton, California, with her aunt and four-year-old son. She was asecretary for two jointly-owned Anaheim stores, one that soldpsychedelic items (i.e. love beads, lava lamps) and the other a headshop. Co-workers and friends said she preferred staying at home, wasa devout Christian, and did not drink or do drugs. Her parents, wholived in Anaheim, babysat their grandson while she worked. Scott'sfather, Jacob, said his daughter may have dated on occasion but hadno steady boyfriend, as far as the family knew.

Months before her abduction, Scott hadbeen receiving strange phone calls at work from an unidentified male. The caller alternately professed his love for her and his intent tokill her. Scott's mother recounted, "One day he called andsaid to go outside because he had something for her. She went out andthere was a single dead red rose on the windshield of her car." Scott's mother said one call especially horrified her daughter. Theman reportedly told Scott he would get her alone and "cut[her] up into bits so no one will ever find [her]". Becauseof the calls, Dorothy began considering the purchase of a handgun;about a week before her disappearance, she started taking karatelessons.

Disappearance and murder

At 9 p.m. on May 28, 1980, Scott was atan employee meeting at work. She noted co-worker Conrad Bostron didnot look well and had a red mark on his arm. She and anotherco-worker, Pam Head, left the employee meeting to take Bostron to theemergency room (E.R.) at UC Irvine Medical Center. Scott then changedher black scarf to a red one and stopped by her parents' house on theway to the hospital to check on her son. Medical personneldetermined Bostron had suffered a black widow spider bite and treatedhim; Head said she and Scott remained in the E.R. waiting room. At notime, 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 did not want Bostron to walk too far in his condition, as he wasstill not feeling well. Head said Scott used the restroom brieflybefore heading out to the parking lot. Head and Bostron filled hisprescription and waited at the exit for Scott; when they did not seeher after a few minutes they went out to the E.R.'s parking lot.Suddenly, they saw Scott's car speeding toward them; its headlightsblinded them so they could not see who was behind the wheel. Theywaved their arms to try to get Scott's attention, but the car spedpast 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 Bostronreported Scott missing.

At about 4:30 a.m. on May 29, Scott'scar, a white 1973 Toyota station wagon, was found burning in an alleyabout 10 miles (16 km) from the hospital. Neither she nor hersupposed kidnapper were anywhere nearby.

Discovery of remains

On August 6, 1984, a constructionworker discovered dog and human bones side by side, about 30 feet (10m) from Santa Ana Canyon Road. The bones were partly charred andauthorities believed they had been there for two years, as a bushfirehad "swept across the site" in 1982. A turquoisering and watch were also found. Scott's mother said the watch hadstopped at 12:30 a.m. on May 29, about an hour after Head and Bostronlast saw Scott's vehicle.[6] On August 14, the bones were identifiedas Scott's by dental records. An autopsy could not determine thecause of death. A memorial service was held on August 22.

Mysterious phone calls

About a week after Scott'sdisappearance, her parents received a phone call from an unidentifiedman who said, "I've got her" and hung up. The sameman called "almost every Wednesday afternoon" andsaid either that he had Dorothy or had killed her. The calls wereusually brief, and usually occurred when Vera was home alone. InApril 1984, the man called during the evening; Jacob Scott answeredand the calls stopped. After Scott's remains were found in August1984, the family started receiving calls again. Police installed avoice recorder at the Scott residence. They were not able to tracethe calls, however, because the man never stayed on the line longenough.

A possible motivation in Scott's murdersurfaced June 12, 1980. An unidentified man called the front desk atthe Orange County Register (the paper had run a story that day aboutthe case). A managing editor told police the man said, "Ikilled her. I killed Dorothy Scott. She was my love. I caught hercheating with another man. She denied having someone else. I killedher." The editor also said the caller knew Conrad Bostronhad suffered from a spider bite the night of May 28. He also knewthat Scott had been wearing a red scarf; she had changed her blackscarf to a red one after the employee meeting. Neither of thesedetails had been published in the June 12 article. The caller alsoclaimed Scott phoned him from the hospital that night. Pam Headdisputed that claim, saying she had been with Scott the entire timeand she had not made a phone call. Investigators believe theanonymous caller was responsible for Scott's death.