On July 19, 1972, the body of an unidentified female was discovered in Hernando County, Florida. At the time of the discovery, detectives believed the victim had recently traveled to the county from either north Florida or Alabama.
The victim was described as:
- Between 30 and 40 years of age
- Approximately 5’ tall
- Between 125 and 145 pounds
- Short brown hair
- Only six upper and six lower teeth.
She was discovered wrapped in a bedspread, with a distinctive pattern, possibly a “Pineapple Damask” print. The bedspread had three square corners and one rounded corner.
Over the years, cold case detectives continued to investigate the case; however, no new leads were developed.
On Aug. 11, 2022, Detective George Loydgren received a call from Michael Vogen with Othram. Vogen provided Loydgren with a possible name— Peggy Joyce Shelton, born on March 30, 1943, in Kentucky. A subsequent kinship report confirmed Jane Doe as Peggy Joyce Shelton.
The case—a cold case homicide—is still being investigated by Loydgren, in an effort to identify the person or persons responsible for the murder of Shelton.
If you have any information on this case, please contact Detective George Loydgren at 352-754-6830.
Republished courtesy of Hernando County Sheriff's Office.