In short
The long-running investigation into “Castro Valley’s Jane Doe,” a teenage girl found murdered behind a restaurant in Castro Valley, California (May 1, 2003), later identified as Yesenia Nungare, and the hunt for her killer, Miguel Castaneda.
Guest backgrounds
Sergeant Scott Dudek (Alameda County Sheriff’s Office; 22-year veteran homicide detective). Forensic experts featured include anthropologist Allison Galloway, forensic dentist Dr. Dwayne Spencer, and forensic artist Gloria Nussi. Also profiled: Dave Woolworth (Castro Valley landscaper who organized community support) and Ellen Leach (Mississippi armchair detective who helped via online matching).
Key claims
The case stalled because the victim was unidentified; exhumation and a skull-based facial reconstruction generated leads; a tip from a 48 Hours Mystery viewer led to Miguel Castaneda; DNA later confirmed the identity as Yesenia Nungare.
Notable examples
rag stuffed in her throat; 10 fingerprint impressions; dental x-rays estimating age 14–17; Mexico flyer campaign; necklace/note found on her grave; Castaneda allegedly moved a “mattress” that was likely a body.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOThe Discovery of a Tragic Mystery
0:44 to 1:54
Explore the shocking circumstances surrounding a young girl's murder in Castro Valley.
“Listen to My Mom's Murder wherever you get your podcasts.”
The Case of Jane Doe
1:54 to 3:40
Understand the efforts made by detectives to identify a nameless victim.
“I'm a detective with the Alameda County Sheriff's Office.”
Community Response to Tragedy
3:40 to 7:20
Learn about the community's response and the unexpected hero who steps in.
“But it just proves that you really shouldn't give up.”
The Search for Answers
7:20 to 11:21
Delve into the ongoing investigation and the exhumation of Jane Doe's body.
“where they collected DNA samples from several mothers of missing teenage girls, including a girl whose picture bore a remarkable resemblance to Jane.”
Forensic Techniques and Reconstruction
11:21 to 14:03
Discover how forensic experts use science to reconstruct Jane Doe's identity.
“and search again for the clues that could close this case.”
Reconstructing Jane's Face
14:03 to 18:31
Learn how forensic artists recreate faces from skulls to identify victims.
“That's why we decided that we would go over her body inch by inch by inch.”
Unveiling Jane Doe
18:31 to 19:52
Discover the media campaign launched to identify Jane Doe using her sculpture.
“The new sculpture of her face is being unveiled today in a media blitz.”
Amateur Detectives Join the Search
19:52 to 21:33
Explore how amateur detectives assist in solving cold cases like Jane's.
“For Castro Valley, Jane Doe, I put in a couple hours a night for a few months.”
DNA Clue and New Leads
21:33 to 22:52
Examine the DNA clue and the heartfelt note found at Jane's grave.
“Are you worried at all, Gloria, that she may not be identified?”
Hope Amidst Despair
22:52 to 24:10
Learn about the emotional journey of detectives chasing leads and tips.
“Dudek is hoping that DNA and fingerprint tests on those items will provide some answers.”
Show all 14 chapters
Chasing Leads to Mexico
26:18 to 28:00
Follow detectives tracking Jane Doe's identity to her potential hometown.
“seen with may be from the same hometown in Mexico.”
The Search for Yesenia Nungare
28:00 to 32:46
Learn about the investigation into the identity of Jane Doe and the tragic story of Yesenia Nungare.
“Dudek was most eager to reach the teenagers in town.”
Bringing Yesenia Home
33:11 to 41:20
Follow the emotional journey of bringing Yesenia's body home and the community's response.
“Libby Holman was a sexually fluid blues singer who became famous in the 1920s and then infamous when she was indicted for her husband's murder.”
Exploring T-Mobile's Advantages
42:00 to 42:35
Learn about T-Mobile's features that enhance connectivity while traveling.
“I've been traveling, working, even hiking more, and thanks to T-Mobile, I'm connected for all of it.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Lauren Malloy spent 30 years believing her mother died of natural causes. That's what everyone told her. That's what she believed. Until one day, she got a phone call that changed everything. A woman claiming to be her mom's best friend told Lauren that her mother was murdered and that no one had ever investigated it. So she did what the detectives wouldn't. She pulled the threads, knocked on doors, and confronted the contradictions. And what she found? It's worse than she imagined. Something happened to Lori Molloy. Someone killed her. And Lauren won't stop until she finds out who. The system may have given up on her mom, but family never will.
0:44Listen to My Mom's Murder wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can binge all 10 episodes early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.
1:13She was 5 '1", 110 pounds.
1:19She had a butterfly clip in the back of her hair. She had beautiful gold hoop earrings. No drugs, no alcohol in her system. If you put that all together, it tells you that this is the girl that was living next door.
1:40This girl could be from Louisiana. This girl could be from New York. This girl could be from Rhode Island. We have no idea where to even start.
1:53Unfortunately, we're going to have to dig up her body to find out who she is.
2:00I'm Sergeant Scott Dudek. I'm a detective with the Alameda County Sheriff's Office. I can vividly recall pulling in here that night. It was late at night.
2:15They found a bag behind the local restaurant here in Castro Valley. And the sad part about it too is outside of being discarded like a piece of trash behind a tree. She had a rag stuffed down her throat. She died of asphyxiation. So it's just a horrific, horrific ending. We have to figure out who this little girl is to go forward with the homicide investigation.
2:52One, two, three, up. We're hopeful that the new pathologist that looks at her little body can tell us something that maybe we missed. Okay, hold on a minute.
3:10This was a living, breathing person.
3:15She does have a story to tell us. And she's trying very hard tonight to tell us what she can. There are a million clues inside a skull. It just takes the right person to bring them out. Facial reconstruction is kind of a last-ditch effort. We were desperate to find out who killed this young girl. I knew we would. I just didn't know how. But it just proves that you really shouldn't give up.
3:52The Girl Next Door, tonight's 48 Hours Mystery.
4:00I think it haunts me a lot. I think it haunts everybody that's worked on this case. Like any good homicide detective, Sergeant Scott Dudek can sometimes get a little obsessed with his cases. But this case troubles him more than any other. What makes this one so different? She's just a child and no one knows who she is.
4:24If anybody deserves everything you got and then 50 % more than that, it'd be a child. A 22-year veteran of the Alameda County Sheriff's Department in Northern California, Dudek has solved his share of gruesome crimes. But murders are rare in the suburban community of Castro Valley. It's a beautiful community. It's about 75 ,000 people. It's middle to upper middle class, most of it. Not a lot of crime, not a lot of violent crime especially, so very nice area. So what he saw the night of May 1, 2003 was especially shocking, even to a seasoned detective. The body of a young girl, murdered, stuffed into a trash bag, and discarded behind a restaurant.
5:14Can you show us exactly where she was found? If you go behind this tree right here, her body was down here by the cyclone fence. She had been dead for about 10 days, so it was fairly well decomposed. And the way she died, with a rag in her throat, suggests someone may have wanted to silence her. Do you think she saw something? You know, there had to be something very, very terrible, obviously, that went on for for her ultimately to be killed. Maybe she was a witness to something.
5:49What usually happens when you find an unidentified murder victim? Normally, for us, within the first 24 to 48 hours, we know who they are, either by looking at missing persons reports or having a parent contact us. But sadly, no one seemed to be looking for her. Because her body was so badly decomposed, a local artist did the best she could to give her a face. They also gave her a name, Jane Doe. Police had to rely on her autopsy for other clues. We had 10 perfect prints that we got off of both her hands, which is a rarity. Investigators guessed she was in her early teens. She was in good health with perfect teeth.
6:34This Jane had all the appearances of a typical teenage girl next door, from her painted nails to her choice of clothing. We had a seamstress redo the exact clothing that she was wearing. We found out it's a Tommy Hilfiger knockoff, and this is a teenager's outfit. It's very common. This is what all the kids were wearing. Detective Dudek released this sketch, hopeful it was good enough for someone to recognize this girl once it was splashed all over the local media and posted on websites dedicated to finding missing children. With this sketch being released, we probably had 150 possible clues or sightings of people that thought they knew who our Castro Valley Jane Doe was.
7:17One clue seemed so promising that Dudek and his partner, Ed Shequin, followed it all the way down to the Texas-Mexican border, where they collected DNA samples from several mothers of missing teenage girls, including a girl whose picture bore a remarkable resemblance to Jane. And every single one of those were checked out, and it wasn't her. There would be many more dead ends, but Scott Dudek remained determined, even though his frustration was mounting. I'm a father. Everybody that works on this case is a father. And it just pulls at you every single day as far as, why can't we just solve this?
8:00Then another clue that seemed almost too good to be true. from a possible witness. We thought it was a huge break. We got an anonymous letter in the mail. The letter writer claimed to have seen someone get something from the trunk of a car and dump it in the very same bushes where the body was found. So basically, the person who wrote this letter was telling you that they got a look at the person who dumped the body of Jane Doe. Correct. We asked this person to come forward, told him we would keep him anonymous. However, unfortunately, he chose not to come forward at that point. This potential witness admitted in the letter that he was reluctant to come forward because he himself had been in that parking lot waiting for a married girlfriend.
8:49Anything you want to say to that person now? He's a huge witness for us, and we need him to make that decision and do the right thing.
9:03As the weeks turned to months, the letter writer never came forward, and no one claimed this young girl. But her case touched the people of Castro Valley, and an unlikely hero emerged. He had no way of knowing that what he was about to do would one day help solve this mystery.
9:24From day one, she touched me, and to this day, she still does. Dave Woolworth, a landscaper, was best known around town for his signature tie-dyed t-shirts. When I read the story, I started crying. And I looked at my wife, and I told her, no one will come and claim her. It was eating at me. Once the forensic investigation was completed, Jane was destined for cremation. But that was unacceptable to Woolworth, himself a father who had once been estranged from his own daughter. If the mother come forward, what are you going to hand her? A bag of ashes? We think this is your daughter? Woolworth decided to take the lead in raising donations from the community.
10:18Nobody knows her name or exactly where she came from, but the tragedy of a young girl found dead in the East Bay has touched many people. The whole community in this area has adopted her. She's known as Castro Valley's Jane Doe.
10:35And so four months after her body was abandoned in a parking lot, Castro Valley's adopted daughter was given a funeral befitting a dignitary. No child should ever die alone. No child should ever go nameless. As several more months went by, this child was still nameless. and her killer faceless. The leads had slowed to a trickle. We solve a lot of cold cases, a lot of homicides. Very proud of that fact, okay? But all those have a name. We know who they are. So Sergeant Dudak made that agonizing decision to exhume the young girl's body and search again for the clues that could close this case.
11:45I can't believe that we're actually doing this. I can't believe we're at this stage in the investigation where we have to go to such extreme measures. Detective Scott Dudek feels he has no choice. You told some people that that was the worst night of your life. It was the most horrifying thing. I mean, I had tried to prepare myself for it. However, it was just the longest 18 hours of my life.
12:18We can't start finding out who stuffed the rag down her throat, Who put her in the bag? Who threw her behind the local restaurant? We can't even go there yet because we don't even know where she's from.
12:32The first order of business is to find out who she is. Right. His team of forensic experts... Humorous, fusing, almost fully fused. Led by anthropologist Allison Galloway... Let's go down to the legs. ...will examine Jane Doe's bones for clues that could provide a better estimate of her age. The bones all suggest that she's pretty much finished growing. I think she's probably much more, say like 14 to 17 range. In another attempt to pinpoint Jane's age, Dudek has turned to Dr. Dwayne Spencer, a dentist and forensic specialist. These are the dental x-rays now of the maxillin mandible of Jane Doe.
13:14The wisdom tooth is just starting to get its roots. Dr. Spencer compares Jane's x-rays to some of his teenage patients. This is a 14-year-old that just happened to come into my office this week, and we took this picture. See how the roots are just little gnarly things? They really haven't formed in comparison to the other molars. Let's put up a 15-year-old. Again, look at the wisdom teeth. See, they really haven't formed very much here. And the last x-ray we'll put up is a 16-year-old. And again, you see some little roots. They're forming a little more now on this 16-year-old right here. So I'm comfortable with saying this Jane Doe is in the range of 14, 15, 16, 17, somewhere in there probably.
13:51A lot of people are used to seeing forensics on television by watching shows like CSI. But this is the real thing. The forensics field has made such leaps and bounds. That's why we decided that we would go over her body inch by inch by inch. Dudek feels the most important key to unlocking this mystery is to get a better picture of what Jane looked like alive. 62. And for that, he calls in forensic artist Gloria Nussi, who will make a sculpture of Jane based on her bone structure. Oh, look. You quite often peer into coffins, bodies are exhumed. A lot of people might think that's a little bit morbid.
14:32Life isn't always pretty, but it is work that needs to be done. Using skills that I have to help someone else, and that is very important to me. There's a lot of asymmetry. There's a lot of asymmetry. So Noosey and Dr. Galloway studied Jane's skull for clues to the girl's facial features. It's part science, part guesswork. How can you reconstruct a person's face just based on a skull? Most people out there would seem almost impossible because all you have is the skull. Well, the information is in the bone. It tells me that the width of the cheekbones is this. It tells me that, you know, the slope of the forehead is this.
15:15Every skull is absolutely unique, but the landmarks are the same. Well, we do have the nasal spine, which is a great help. We have that nasal spine. But Noosey also needs a sense of Jane's ethnic background to create a sculpture that will hopefully resemble the dead girl closely enough for someone out there to recognize her. Most of the features we're seeing are European, but there are some features that suggest that she might have some either Asian or Native American background.
15:47The first step is to make a mold of the skull so Jane's body can be returned to the cemetery in the morning. Noosey will work all night long to make it.
16:01Oh, God. There she is again.
16:09She'll then bring the mold to her studio. There's the back of her head. where she'll work on it for weeks to bring Jane to life. There she is. Oh, my goodness. The next part is the fun part, putting the clay on and finding her face, what she looks like. These little markers are showing the depth of tissue at these specific points on the skull. It's like I connect the dot. Those markers tell Nussi how thick the clay should be over different parts of the face to get an accurate and lifelike shape. I'm going to put on her mouth. I know the width of her lips because I've measured that from the skull.
17:00I just want to try to make her look like a person. It's going to see this little fly little smile. And there's a softness to her eyes.
17:15All that she's been through, this is her chance, and it just needs to be absolutely perfect. Five weeks after the exclamation, and after some 40 hours of work... Of course, we tried to match her hair as well as we could. Her hair was dyed. Gloria Nussi is putting the final touches on the forensic reconstruction. You know, she definitely looks like she's kind of coming to life to me. Wow. What do you think? Oh, she just is so, she is just so beautiful and so, she just looks so precious to me.
17:53Oh my God. Wow. When he sees the finished product... This looks like a human being. She's done such a fantastic, wonderful job. Detective Dudek is convinced he's one giant step closer to finding out Jane's real name and the identity of her killer.
18:30Jane Doe is ready for her close-up. The new sculpture of her face is being unveiled today in a media blitz. That sculpture is going to be huge as far as generating leads. Now you have a face, you have the shirt, you have the pants. It's still early, but it's going to pay off. There's no doubt in my mind. It maybe has a total package here. Somebody will realize that's my girl. Detective Dudek is also spreading the word to other police agencies. So just in this one transmission alone, we're going to reach 203 agencies. They will start getting out these new flyers, and they are hoping somebody will recognize her.
19:12And he's offering a$55 ,000 reward.
19:18This is going to be the new poster. Do you recognize this girl? We're passing out flyers regarding Jane Doe. We're trying to drum up some leads and get some information on our Jane Doe who still has her. Oh, our Jane Doe. Yes. We're still trying to find the identity of Castor Valley Jane Doe. And you know about the case? Yes, I do. I've been following it. Okay, great. We'll go out to the businesses. We'll get it out to the people. Just make sure that our Jane Doe stays in everybody's mind. The detective doesn't know it yet, but his little girl is very much on the mind of this woman, all the way across the country.
Read the full transcript
19:54For Castro Valley, Jane Doe, I put in a couple hours a night for a few months. Ellen Leach of Gulfport, Mississippi, is a stockroom clerk by day and an armchair detective by night. It could be called an obsession of sorts. I try to find missing persons to give their families some sense of closure. I have been to probably 50 websites. Ellen Leach is one of thousands of amateur detectives who scour the internet to help police solve cold cases by matching photos of the missing to those victims who remain unidentified. That's the closest one I've found so far. Yeah. Late one night, the features of one little girl from Southern California began to line up with Jane's.
20:47I like the way the face shape is around the chin. It looks like she's got a good smile to her. She looks like a beautiful little girl. We were very hopeful that it was going to be our Jane Doe. We requested the dental records on this little girl. But this girl's dental records... No indication of any trauma on Jane Doe. ...do not match Jane's perfect teeth. It's another dead end. By now, one of hundreds. That was probably one of the lowest times of this investigation because we just, you know, were hoping so much that that sculpture would give us that one piece of the clue that we needed to end this mystery.
21:31Hundreds of tips are coming in. Nothing seems to be panning out. Are you worried at all, Gloria, that she may not be identified? I am worried that she might not be identified. Maybe there is someone who does know her but is afraid to come forward. Gloria Nussi is even beginning to doubt her own work. My greatest fear, of course, is maybe I didn't do it right. Did I do something wrong? Whoever did this to her was probably counting on nobody knowing who she was and probably felt like she was nothing. Nobody means nothing, and nobody deserves to be murdered. You had the sculpture in your office. every day you come to work, you're looking at her face.
22:16It was my way to say, until we get an ID on you, you're going to stay here so I don't forget about you.
22:28Detectives were also keeping an eye on Jane's grave to see who might visit her. One day, sure enough, there was an intriguing clue. The necklace was found on the headstone itself. Correct. There was actually, this note was actually strung through the necklace so it was attached to it. And the letter actually says, God loves you. It's okay, baby girl. Jim is paying for what he did to you.
23:00Dudek is hoping that DNA and fingerprint tests on those items will provide some answers. Is Jim the suspect? It could be. But that will take weeks, even months.
23:16You got a little girl out there that every single night her mom and dad must wonder when she's coming home. You had left us a tip on our voicemail. So once again, the detective... Monday, 9, 11 p.m. ...is manning the phones. Another little girl, she was missing on December 2nd. Well, I just wanted to thank you, first off, for calling. Sooner or later, somebody's going to make a connection, and they'll pick up the phone, and they'll call us, and they'll do the right thing.
23:49That combination of police work and publicity finally paid off. In January 2006, 48 Hours Mystery reported on the case of Jane Doe. And the calls started pouring into this dispatch center. One of them would turn this case around.
24:09The emotion that day was, it can't be explained. It was just huge for us. It was just, I can't believe that maybe this could be what we've finally been looking for. Someone who watched the program thought Jane looked like a young girl who was seen around Castro Valley with this man. His name is Miguel Castaneda, and he worked at the restaurant where the body was dumped. Detectives had some questions for Castaneda. But when they went looking for him, he was gone.
24:53Ever find yourself standing in front of your closet having a full-blown style spiral? You know the feeling. staring at a rack of clothes wondering if wide-leg jeans are actually worth the hype, whether an outfit is truly work-appropriate, or why finding a pair of pants that fits properly feels like a full-time job. You do not have to navigate it alone anymore because Maurice's is essentially that stylish friend in your group chat who always knows what looks good on you. Way back in 1931, their founder chose to focus on real women living real lives rather than chasing fashion trends, and that care still shines through today.
25:30Whether you're running out the door for coffee, handling school pickup, or getting dressed for a Saturday night wedding, Maurice's delivers versatile, approachable style and inclusive sizing that fits you perfectly every single time. Plus, with over 800 stores nationwide and an incredible website, you can pop into any store for free, personalized fit advice and outfit inspiration from their in-store stylist without needing an appointment. Next time you need a second opinion, head to Maurice's and walk out feeling effortless, comfortable, and completely confident. Use code 48HRS for an extra 10 % off your total purchase at maurices.com.
26:17Detective Scott Dudek and his team have received a tip that Jane Doe and the man she was seen with may be from the same hometown in Mexico. So they're chasing their latest lead all the way across the border to try to identify her. Why did you make the decision to go to Mexico yourself? Why not leave it up to the Mexican authorities? This was our case. This was our little girl. If that happened to your child, wouldn't you want somebody to care? The detectives head to Yawalika, a poor working class town near Guadalajara. We need your help to try to find out who she is. Their plan? To show the sculpture and a photo of Miguel Castaneda to as many townspeople as possible.
27:08Perhaps passing around. For the next 48 hours, the detectives work day and night, walking hours on end to handle out some 4 ,000 flyers. The team hopes the reward, now up to$65 ,000, will attract some attention as well. Make sure when you're handing them out that they know that we think she's from this area. Yes, he's telling them. At first, Dudek recruited some help. You want to go hand out some of these and I'll pay you? But pretty soon, he didn't have to ask. The townspeople here, like those back in Castro Valley, had already taken this case to heart. The word spread around that town so quick.
27:59We had people coming up to us asking if they could hand out flyers. Dudek was most eager to reach the teenagers in town. He thought they were his best shot at tracking down Jane's family. Back in May 1st of 2003, We had a girl that was from your area. She had been killed and then stuffed in a green bag. And it was like looking at a bunch of Castro Valley Jane Doe's, except these kids all had names. From one school to another, he repeated his story. They put her behind this restaurant in Castro Valley,
28:40like she was a bag of trash. You didn't spare them the grisly details of what happened to Jane Doe. They had to know what happened to her. We felt that they were old enough to put themselves in her place. What horrific things she went through in the last moments of her life. On his third day in Mexico, Dudek received a frantic message. One of the citizens said, there was a person that needed to talk to me right away. It was a woman who had seen the flyer and feared that Jane was her missing daughter. She was there to say, I think it's my little girl that you're looking for. The minute Dudek laid eyes on her, he had a feeling his search was over.
29:23You have that moment where you go, oh my God, she has some of the identical features. The woman showed detectives pictures of her daughter. The sculpture that Gloria did, How much more close can you get? The cheekbones are perfect. Her lips are perfect. She has gold hoop earrings. And the woman said her daughter, like Jane, had perfect teeth. She told us she had never been to a dentist because she never complained about her teeth. The age and time frame fit, too. Her daughter left for California in March of 2003 on her 16th birthday. and she went to stay with Miguel Castaneda, who was a family friend.
30:11Within weeks, her mother lost contact with her about the same time the body was discovered behind the restaurant. It's like, oh my God, I'm going to have to tell this lady what happened to her little baby. And before I even started to say anything, she just started to scream and shaking her head, saying no, no, no. It was brutal for me. There's no other way to describe it. A solemn dudak briefed reporters a few hours later. Detective Shequan and I, who have been working on this for three and a half years, are very confident that it is, in fact,
30:51Jane Doe. A DNA sample from her mother would later confirm it. Jane's real name was Yesenia Nungare. She's just like the girl next door. She's just a teenager that went to school. She really loved poetry. She liked to read books a lot. She had a younger brother. You know, she wanted to leave that area to make a better life for herself. And this poor child came to America for the American dream. And three weeks later, this 16-year-old schoolgirl is killed by a person and stuffed in a bag. How tragic of an end is that to her American dream? Four years after Yesenia's murder, detectives finally know her tragic story.
31:38And it might never have happened without Gloria Nussi's sculpture. In this picture, Yesenia is 15 years old. What's amazing is when you look at the side view with the hair pulled back over the ear on how close they look. I see a similarity in the shape of her jaw. I see a similarity in the shape of her nose. It is her. But Nussi's success is bittersweet. On the one hand, your work helped to identify her. On the other, it also took away any hope that her mother ever had of seeing her alive again. I can and I can't imagine what that would ever be like. I am a mother. I have a daughter. Yassinia's mother must be so devastated to find out that her daughter is gone.
32:26On that tearful day in Mexico, Dudek made two promises to Yesenia's mother. To bring her daughter's body back home and to hunt down the person who killed her. And he wants to start by finding Miguel Castaneda.
32:47Avoiding your unfinished home projects because you're not sure where to start. Thumbtack knows homes, so you don't have to. Don't know the difference between matte paint finish and satin? or what that clunking sound from your dryer is. With Thumbtack, you don't have to be a home pro. You just have to hire one. You can hire top-rated pros, see price estimates, and read reviews, all on the app. Download today. You must remember this presents The Bisexuals. Libby Holman was a sexually fluid blues singer who became famous in the 1920s and then infamous when she was indicted for her husband's murder.
33:22Later, Libby began an affair with movie star Montgomery Clift, who had to keep his own bisexuality secret in Hollywood in the 1950s. Also featuring Elizabeth Taylor, Josephine Baker, drugs, orgies, and, of course, movies. Follow and listen to You Must Remember This wherever you get your podcasts.
33:44Yesenia's body is being exhumed one last time to begin the long journey home.
33:56I wanted to be there and bring her home. You know, that to me was the closure. Then she was Yesenia. You know, she wasn't Castro Valley Jane Doe. Then she was Yesenia. You know, she was our girl. She was my girl. It's just that she was so innocent and so young. And to come to the United States for a better life, and that's not what she found. That's not at all what happened to her.
34:29Once again, Yesenia is given a police escort. The detectives are taking her back to Mexico, where her mother, Maria, is waiting. It was a pretty sad day, you know. You wanted to be strong for the family, because we viewed ourselves as her relatives now. It was very difficult. Now there were two communities in mourning, on either side of the border. Castro Valley raised money again for a funeral fit for a princess.
35:12And the townspeople of Yawalika showed Maria they shared her grief. During the funeral, through the procession, you walked all through the town where Yesenia grew up. What was that like for you? You know, I had never experienced anything like that. It was a proud experience, you know. Everybody came out and said goodbye to her as we walked by. And I think not only did we bring closure to Maria and her family, I think we brought closure almost to the whole town. For Maria, it was a devastating end to four years of trying to find out what happened to her little girl. For me, she was very special.
35:56She was happy and she liked flowers, stuffed animals. She used to get along well with people.
36:05When she left, she told me that she wanted to keep studying and working because she was a very hard worker. From the time she was little, she was a hard worker.
36:16Maria knew her daughter's future was bleak in her poverty-stricken hometown, so she reluctantly let her go to California because Miguel Castaneda promised to watch over her. And at first, things seemed to be going well. She told her mom her worst day in America was still better than any day that she had in Mexico. Then the phone calls home suddenly stopped. Castaneda told Maria that Yesenia had packed up and left. As the months went by, Maria knew something was very wrong. She knew her daughter was somewhere in the San Francisco Bay Area. She did everything possible she could do to try to contact people, but she didn't know who to call.
37:07She didn't deserve this. She had dreams. She wanted to work, study and earn her money. Now it's time for Detective Dudek to make good on his other promise to Maria, to catch the person who so brutally put an end to her daughter's dreams. Our job's not done. Our job's not going to be done until that person's locked up. He's been tracing Yesenia's final movements. What have you learned? When Yesenia left Mexico, she came to stay in this bungalow here in Hayward, California. She was only here about three weeks with Castaneda. She got a job as a babysitter. But the situation may have soured quickly.
37:47The detective has received a tip that Castaneda asked a friend to come to his bungalow to help move a large bag. He was told, hey, I need some help moving a mattress. and when he started to pick it up, he realized that it was most likely a body, not a mattress, and he decided that he wanted no part of it. Were you able to talk to this person? You know, unfortunately, because this is an active case, I can't really divulge too much as far as that stuff goes. But Dudek doesn't hesitate to say this. He's now convinced that Castaneda is the killer. It's my belief that Yesenia felt that Castaneda was like an older brother.
38:25Castaneda wanted more of a relationship than that type. I think Yesenia turned down his advances and she was killed because of that. And Dudek is still hoping to hear from another possible witness, the mystery man in the parking lot who was waiting for his married girlfriend. How are you gonna approach this person who may be your key witness to the suspect's disposing of the body? I think like everything else on this case, if you put the humanitarian part of it in, where you say, hey, I'm not asking you as a cop, I'm asking you as a father. I'm confident this person may come forward and help me on this case.
39:03As for the necklace that was left on the grave in California, it did not contain any relevant DNA. But detectives still have enough of a case against Castaneda to get a warrant for his arrest. This is a picture that we obtained when we were in Mexico of him. But first, they have to find their suspect. and that might not be easy. He could be hiding in either country. I strongly urge Mr. Castaneda to turn himself in either to the Mexican authorities or to the U.S. consulate or if in fact he is in the United States to any police department in the United States. Back in the town of Yawalika, Yesenia's grieving mother is grateful to be able to bury her daughter close to home.
40:01Please, I am asking you to help me to thank them, because thanks to them, my daughter is here, and I want to give them a hand.
40:14And she's also grateful to a man she may never meet, Landscaper Dave Woolworth I just did what was right She was a clean-cut 16-year-old girl That took pride in herself Without his efforts, Castro Valley's Jane Doe Would have been cremated Her identity forever a secret She's where she belongs With her mom Knowing she's home with her mother Is also giving Woolworth some comfort At a difficult time I have cancer. My days are numbered. I'm glad that I lived long enough to see it. Woolworth still hopes to see Yesenia's killer put behind bars, and Dudek is determined to make that happen soon. And we're going to move as fast as we can, and we'll get our man.
41:08We'll make an arrest and we'll get him. This was about a bunch of people getting together, not forgetting about a girl that was found murdered behind a restaurant. Citizens, scientists, cops, clergy, everybody came together and look at the result.
41:32Yosinni will be my little girl and everybody's little girl in this area forever.
41:47Miguel Castaneda has not been apprehended and is believed to be hiding in Mexico. There are both state and federal arrest wards issued for Castaneda's arrest for the murder of Yesenia. Okay, sis, give me the scoop. What have you been up to? Living my best life. I've been traveling, working, even hiking more, and thanks to T-Mobile, I'm connected for all of it. Really? I need details. I mean, with America's best network, I can pretty much go anywhere. Even when I'm off-grid, I'm still connected by satellite. That's cool. Plus, I get unlimited texting and data abroad, so I'm all set for my trip to Greece.
42:21I don't even need to do anything. It'll just work when I get there. That's it. I gotta get T-Mobile. I don't even get reception in my apartment. This is why I'm mom's favorite. So many reasons to join T-Mobile. Find yours at T-Mobile.com. Best mobile network in the U.S. based on analysis by Uklav Speedtest Intelligence Data, first half of 2026. With compatible device in most outdoor areas in select countries where you can see the sky. Included with experience beyond or$10 a month auto renews monthly. Cancel anytime. High-speed data on select plans not for extended international use. Coverage not available in some areas.
42:55See plan for details. A lot of short daily news podcasts focus on just one story. But right now, you probably need more. On Up First from NPR, we bring you three of the world's top headlines every day in under 15 minutes. Because no one's story can capture all that's happening in this big, crazy world of ours on any given morning. Listen now to the Up First podcast from NPR.
From the publisher
In 2003, the body of an unidentified teenage girl was found stuffed in a bag behind a restaurant. In hopes to identify her, a forensic sculptor created a reconstruction of her face, based on her skull. Authorities then received a call from a woman who had seen a flyer with the girl's face on it and feared she was her missing daughter. "48 Hours" correspondent Harold Dow reports. This classic "48 Hours" episode last aired on 7/4/2009. Watch all-new episodes of “48 Hours” on Saturdays and stream on demand on Paramount+.