Wyoming Cold Case Solved After 33 Years
After 33 years, I-90 Jane Doe has been identified as Cindi Arleen Estrada. This in-depth true crime post explores her life, the Wyoming cold case, the arrest of Clark Perry Baldwin, and how forensic genealogy finally gave her name back.
In the spring of 1992, a Wyoming road crew working near Interstate 90 outside Sheridan discovered the body of a young woman in a drainage ditch. She had no identification, no known connection to the state, and no vehicle nearby. No one had reported her missing. Investigators had no clear path to her past and no one to speak for her.
She was entered into case files as I-90 Jane Doe, her face reconstructed through clay models and later in digital renderings. For decades, she remained one of thousands of unnamed victims in cold case databases.
After thirty-three years, she finally has her name back. She was Cindi Arleen Estrada, a 21-year-old woman from Torrance, California. She had a history, a family, and a life before Wyoming. Now, that story can be told.
She Was Not Forgotten
Cindi was born in Southern California in 1971. She had long brown hair, wide-set eyes, and a softness in her expression that survived even in the few photographs that remain. She grew up in the neighborhoods south of Los Angeles, surrounded by the noise and energy of city life.
Her early years were not without hardship. She spent time apart from her biological family, later reconnecting with them. Friends and relatives recall a young woman navigating her twenties with resilience and a search for belonging.
By 1992, she was in Torrance, keeping in touch with family intermittently. She was young, looking for stability, and trying to shape a life that felt like her own. Then, she disappeared.
Two Wyoming Jane Does, One Killer
On April 8, 1992, Cindi’s body was found near Interstate 90. A month earlier, on March 1, another woman was discovered near Bitter Creek, close to Rock Springs. This woman was also unidentified and became known as Bitter Creek Betty, later confirmed to be Irene Garcia Vasquez.
Both women were found nude, left near major highways in Wyoming, and murdered in similar ways. Neither had identification, and neither was connected to the state by residence or work. For years, the two murders remained separate cold cases with no clear suspect.
How DNA Connected the Cases
Advancements in forensic science changed everything. Evidence from both women was re-examined, and the DNA profiles matched the same man. That man was Clark Perry Baldwin, a former long-haul truck driver with a history of violence against women and a connection to other murders in multiple states.
Baldwin had been investigated in the early 1990s for assault but evaded serious charges. His work as a truck driver gave him access to isolated locations and allowed him to move freely across state lines. This mobility let him hide in plain sight, targeting women who were vulnerable or traveling alone.
In 2020, Baldwin was arrested. He was convicted in Tennessee for another murder and now faces extradition to Wyoming to stand trial for the murders of Cindi Estrada and Irene Garcia Vasquez.
Forensic Genealogy Gives Cindi Her Name
Even after Baldwin’s arrest, I-90 Jane Doe remained unnamed. That changed when investigators turned to forensic genealogy. By uploading her DNA profile to public ancestry databases, they identified distant relatives and began building a family tree.
Eventually, this led to her biological mother, who provided the confirmation investigators needed. After decades of uncertainty, Cindi’s mother finally knew what had happened to her daughter.
What We Know About Her Final Days
Cindi had no known reason to be in Wyoming. She may have been hitchhiking, traveling to meet someone, or simply trying to get to another city when she crossed paths with Baldwin. His pattern shows he exploited the trust of women who were traveling, isolating them before committing the crime.
It is believed she was killed elsewhere and her body was left near Sheridan, far from her home and those who knew her. Her life was stolen, her name erased, and her case left unsolved for over three decades.
A Second Name Returned
With Cindi’s identity confirmed, prosecutors can now move forward with charging Baldwin for her murder and for the murder of Irene Garcia Vasquez. Both women have their names restored. Both cases are active again.
These women are not just cold case statistics. They are part of Wyoming’s history, and their stories will now be told in court.
Why Cindi’s Story Matters
Cold cases often fade from public attention, but each one represents a person with a full life, dreams, and loved ones left behind. Cindi’s identification is the result of persistence, improved technology, and the refusal of her family and investigators to give up.
She was never just a body found along the highway. She was a daughter. She was loved. And now, she is remembered by name.
Her name is Cindi Arleen Estrada. She was 21 years old. She mattered in life, and she matters now.
xoxo
-S
As an amateur true crime writer, I strive to provide accurate and well-researched information. However, please be aware that I am not a professional investigator or journalist, and my work is based on available sources and my understanding of the case. There may be inaccuracies or incomplete details in my posts. I encourage readers to seek out additional sources and verify information from official and professional channels. Thank you for your understanding and support.
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