The Story of Patty

The story of Patty, as told by her daughter, Suzanne:

My mother, Patricia Otto vanished from our home in Lewiston, Idaho after an argument with my father, Ralph Otto on August 31, 1976. According to my father, she walked out and took nothing with her, leaving her car and my sister and I. 

My father was arrested in October of 1976 for attempting to hire a hitman to kill Lewiston Police Captain, D. Ailor. During his incarceration a young, female body was discovered buried in the woods in Portland, Oregon on July 28, 1978. This Caucasian female was reported to fit my mother’s description, so Lewiston Police gathered Patty’s dental records to send for comparison on or about August 31, 1978. Finley Creek Jane Doe was discovered by Oregon hunters on August 27, 1978, near Elgin, OR. Her physical description also matched my mother’s and this female was noted to be wearing red pants and a white blouse, which coincided with the last known clothing my mother was wearing.

Lewiston was already working with the homicide detective from Multnomah County, so when they were notified by family that the clothing matched Patty, the detective quickly went to work to get my grandparents to the state crime lab, in Pendleton to view the Union County clothing on September 1, 1978. Detective Tom Saleen was certain this was Patty.

On September 8, 1978 Lewiston Police were notified that the dental records did not match. No details were included. My mother’s case went cold. The Multnomah Jane Doe was eventually identified as A. Willits but Finley Creek Jane Doe was never identified. In 1990, Oregon closed the unsolved Union County homicide (FCJD) and destroyed the evidence, cremated the pregnant victim and subsequently failed to document the final disposition of her remains, which had been sent to the closest crematorium in Walla Walla, Washington. 

Last fall, I discovered a forensic drawing that I honestly thought was an image of myself! Once I read the case details, it was shocking that the hunters from Milton-Freewater who found the body in 1978 included my current father-in-law, Rob and his late father, Lee Parr. The description of the Jane Doe perfectly matched my mother’s age, height, weight, hair color, clothing, except for the pregnancy. No one was aware of a full-term pregnancy. 

According to the Finley Creek Jane Doe - Elgin, OR taskforce and the Oregon State Medical Examiner, the victim’s pregnancy cannot be confirmed. There are no photos, xrays or measurements in the homicide report. It is possible that the estimated gestation is incorrect. 

The hand written dental report does not reflect what can be seen in the autopsy photos. The photos of the victim’s teeth line up with my mother’s driver’s license photo and the X-ray I found in my sister’s file. 

Lewiston Police Department had no X-ray for Patty or copies on file. The national database has information listed for Patty that is not reflected in her 1975 X-ray. So how did Oregon rule Patty out back in 1978? Was my mother’s X-ray compared to the Multnomah case, Miss Willits, by error?

Why does Miss Willit’s dental work match the handwritten report for FCJD, except for one tooth? Did the Oregon Medical Examiner confuse these two cases? Our next steps are a forensic search at the grave in Union County since my father-in-law recalls exactly where the body was discovered back in 1978. Last fall, cadaver dogs alerted to the scent of human remains. 

My mother’s name was not mentioned to my sister and I all the years that we grew up without her. My father forbid my mother’s family to speak about her. It was too painful and no one, other than my father had answers so it was easier just to not mention her. We were led to believe she abandoned us. We never celebrated her birthday, never honored her on Mother’s Day. It was as if Patricia Otto did not exist until last August when the true story started to be revealed. 

My late sister, Natalie and I will never get those childhood years back, but I can promise my mother now that I WILL get her name back and her life story will no longer be an elusive secret. I acknowledge that I may never have all of the answers but with the help of this team and the FCJD Taskforce, I WILL bring my mother home. 

My mother is Patricia Lee Otto and I know now, she never abandoned my sister or me!