True Crime Collection

Dorothy Jane Scott

Dorothy Jane Scott was a single mother living in Stanton, California, with her aunt and 4 year old son. She was a secretary for 2 jointly owned Anaheim stores, 1 that sold psychedelic items (i.e. love beads, lava lamps) and the other a head shop. 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 she worked. Dorothy's father, Jacob, said his daughter may have dated on occasion but had no steady boyfriend, as far as the family knew.

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

At 9pm, on 28th May, 1980, Dorothy was at an employee meeting at work. She noted co-worker Conrad Bostron did not look well and had a red mark on his arm. She and another co-worker, Pam Head, left the employee meeting to take Conrad to the emergency room at UC Irvine Medical Center. Dorothy then changed her black scarf to a red one and stopped by her parents' house on the way to the hospital to check on her son. Medical personnel determined Conrad had suffered a black widow spider bite and treated him; Pam said she and Dorothy remained in the E.R. waiting room. At no time, Pam said, did Dorothy leave her side. 

Conrad was discharged around 11pm and given a prescription. Dorothy offered to bring her car to the exit; she did not want Conrad to walk too far in his condition, as he was still not feeling well. Pam said Dorothy used the restroom briefly before heading out to the parking lot. Pam and Conrad fill his prescription and waited at the exit for Dorothy; when they did not see her after a few minutes they went out to the E.R.'s parking lot. Suddenly, they saw Dorothy's car speeding towards them, its headlights blinded them so they could not see who was behind the wheel. They waved their arms to try to get Dorothy's attention, but the car sped past them and took a sharp right turn out of the parking lot. Initially, both thought Dorothy had an emergency come up with her son. A few hours later, after not hearing from her, Pam and Conrad reported Dorothy missing. 

At about 4:30am on 29th May, Dorothy'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. 

On 6th August, 1984, a construction worker discovered dog and human bones side by side, about 30 feet from Santa Ana Canyon Road. The bones were partly charred and authorities believed they had been there for 2 years, as a bushfire had "swept across the site" in 1982. A turquoise ring and watch were also found. Dorothy's mother said the watch had stopped at 12:30 am on 29th May, about an hour after Pam and Conrad last saw Dorothy's vehicle. On 14th August, the bones were identified as Dorothy's by dental records. An autopsy could not determine the cause of death. A memorial service was held on 22nd August. 

About a week after Dorothy's disappearance, her parents received a phone call from an unidentified man who said, "I've got her" and hung up. The same man called "almost every Wednesday afternoon" and 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 and the calls stopped. After Dorothy's remains were found in August 1984, the family started receiving calls again. Police installed a voice recorder at the Scott residence. They were not able to trace the calls, however, because the man never stayed on the line long enough. 

A possible motivation in Dorothy's murder surfaced on 12th June, 1980. An unidentified man called the front desk at the Orange County Register. 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 28th May. He also knew that Dorothy had been wearing a red scarf; she had changed her black scarf to a red one after the employee meeting. Neither of these details had been published in the 12th June article. The caller also claimed Dorothy phone him from the hospital that night. Pam Head disputed that claim, saying she had been with Dorothy the entire time and she had not made a phone call. Investigators believe the anonymous caller was responsible for Dorothy's death.