Shadow of Fear: The Relentless Stalking and Unsolved Murder of Dorothy Jane Scott
In May 1980, after months of dealing with threatening phone calls, Dorothy Jane Scott disappeared under very strange circumstances. Four years later her remains were discovered in a remote area
Background
On the evening of May 28, 1980, Dorothy Jane Scott dropped her young son off at her parents' home and headed to a work-related meeting in Anaheim, California. Hours later, her car was found burning in an alley, and for four years, her whereabouts remained a mystery. When her remains were finally discovered, they raised even more questions than answers.
Dorothy Jane Scott
Dorothy Jane Scott was born on April 23, 1948, in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. Later, her family moved to California and settled in Anaheim. By 1980, Dorothy was a 32-year-old single mother living in Stanton, California, with her four-year-old son, Shawn, and her aunt.
Shawn's father, Dennis Terry, resided in Missouri and was not actively involved in their lives. Dorothy's parents, Jacob and Vera Scott, lived nearby and often took care of Shawn while Dorothy worked.
Dorothy worked as a secretary for two jointly owned stores in Anaheim, the Swinger's Psych Shop and Custom John's Head Shop. These shops were popular in the late '70s and early '80s, especially among younger crowds, and were known for selling items like lava lamps, love beads, and other novelty goods.
Interestingly, Dorothy's father had previously owned Swinger's before selling it to John Kycola, who also owned Custom John's. Dorothy's role was primarily in the back office, handling administrative tasks.
Despite the unconventional nature of these establishments, Dorothy was known for her devout Christian faith and conservative lifestyle. Friends and coworkers described Dorothy as kind, compassionate, and reliable. Dorothy didn't drink, use drugs, or engage in the party scene.
She preferred spending her time at home with her son or attending church rather than socializing or dating. Her brother, Jim, once remarked,
"To me, she exemplified the word 'give.' She'd just give and give and give, no matter what it cost her."
Threatening Phone Calls
Unknown to those around her, Dorothy had been dealing with something disturbing in the months leading up to her disappearance. In early 1980, she began receiving a series of strange and frightening phone calls at home. The voice on the other end was male, someone she didn’t recognize. But he clearly knew her, too well.
The man would sometimes speak with tenderness, telling Dorothy he loved her and that he was watching her. At other times, his tone would change completely. He became hostile, threatening to harm her, saying things like, “I’m going to get you,” and “I’m going to cut you into bits so no one will ever find you.” These weren’t vague threats. They were detailed, and they terrified her.
Dorothy tried to keep her concern to herself at first. She didn’t want to alarm her parents or burden anyone, but eventually, the fear became too much to ignore. She told her mother, Vera Scott, about the calls and how they were becoming more frequent and more disturbing.
There was one call in particular that left her badly shaken. The man described what she was wearing that day down to the smallest details. That’s when Dorothy realized that this wasn’t someone playing a prank. This was someone stalking her, watching her, and studying her movements.
Then one day, he instructed Dorothy to check her car, where she found a single dead red rose on the windshield. There was no note inside, and no sign of who had left it. That felt like a silent warning, and the fear that had been slowly creeping in now consumed her.
She began considering ways to protect herself. According to friends and family, she looked into purchasing a handgun. Approximately a week before her disappearance, she also started taking karate lessons to defend herself if the need ever came.
Trip to the Hospital
May 28, 1980, started as just another routine day for Dorothy Jane Scott. That evening, she attended an employee staff meeting at the Anaheim shops where she worked in California. The meeting was held at around 9:00 p.m.
During the meeting, Dorothy noted that one of her coworkers, Conrad Bostron, did not look well. He had a red, swollen area on his arm that looked like it could be a spider bite. Dorothy and another coworker, Pam Head, volunteered to take Bostron to the hospital.
Before heading to UC Irvine Medical Center, Dorothy stopped by her parents’ house to check on her four-year-old son, Shawn, who was staying there for the night. While there, she also made a small but memorable change. She swapped the black scarf she was wearing for a red one.
At the hospital, medical staff determined that Conrad had suffered a black widow spider bite. They admitted and treated him accordingly. Pam later recalled that she and Dorothy remained together in the emergency room waiting area the entire time, with Dorothy not leaving her side.
Around 11:00 p.m., Conrad was discharged after being given a prescription, and the group prepared to head home. Dorothy told Pam she’d bring the car around to the front so they wouldn’t have to walk far.
Disappearance
Pam and Conrad waited for her at the exit, but when she didn't arrive after a few minutes, they went outside to look for her. As Pam and Conrad got to the hospital entrance, they saw Dorothy’s white 1973 Toyota station wagon suddenly speeding toward them out of the parking lot.
The headlights were so bright that they couldn’t see who was behind the wheel. They tried to wave her down, but the car sped past them and took a sharp right turn out of the parking lot.
At first, they thought Dorothy had an emergency concerning her son, and she rushed to him. But when hours passed and she didn’t return, panic set in. They contacted Dorothy’s family, and by early morning, police were notified.
At 4:30 a.m. on May 29, just a few hours after the strange events, Dorothy’s car was found abandoned and engulfed in flames in a back alley in Santa Ana, about 10 miles from the hospital.
There was no sign of Dorothy or indication of who might have been driving the car. Her purse and belongings were also missing.
Harrassing Phone Calls Continue
After Dorothy Jane Scott’s sudden disappearance on the night of May 28, 1980, her parents, Jacob and Vera Scott, received a disturbing phone call. When Vera answered, a male voice asked, "Are you related to Dorothy Scott?" Upon confirming, the caller said, "I've got her," and hung up. This was just the beginning of a series of harrowing calls that would torment the Scott family for years.
Every Wednesday, like clockwork, the man would call Dorothy's parents' home. Vera Scott was often the one to answer. The caller would claim he had Dorothy. Sometimes he said he had killed her. Other times, he insisted she was still alive. The voice never lost its calm tone.
Dorothy's father, Jacob, tried everything he could to trace the calls. He even had the police tap the phone line. But the man was careful. He never stayed on the line long enough for the call to be traced.
Two weeks after Dorothy vanished, The Orange County Register printed a story about her disappearance. The same day the article was published, a man called the paper’s editorial office and told a managing editor: “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 caller knew details that had not been made public, such as the spider bite Conrad Bostron suffered and the red scarf Dorothy wore that night. He also claimed Dorothy had called him from the hospital, a statement disputed by Pam Head, who said Dorothy had not made any phone calls that night.
These details were things only someone involved in, or close to, the investigation would know.
Even with all this, police couldn't identify him. They believed the same person was behind all the calls, but they had no name, address, or motive they could verify. The calls to Dorothy’s parents continued week after week, for four years.
In April 1984, the man called during the evening, and Jacob answered the phone. After this, the calls ceased.
Discovery of Dorothy’s Remains
On August 6, 1984, more than four years after Dorothy Jane Scott vanished, a construction worker working near Santa Ana Canyon Road in Anaheim Hills made a grim discovery.
While preparing to lay telephone cables, a subcontractor for Pacific Bell uncovered partially buried human bones alongside the remains of a dog, approximately 30 feet from the road. The location was remote and rugged, and the site had been affected by a brush fire in 1982, which likely contributed to the condition of the remains.
On August 14, 1984, dental records confirmed the remains belonged to Dorothy Jane Scott. However, due to the condition of the remains, the exact cause of death could not be determined.
The body had been there for an extended period and had been exposed to the elements and possibly fire. The burnt condition of the bones suggested that an attempt might have been made to destroy evidence.
A memorial service was held on August 22, 1984, where Dorothy’s brother, Jim Scott, delivered a heartfelt eulogy, emphasizing her selflessness and the love she had for others.
Aftermath
Investigators explored every angle. They interviewed coworkers, ex-boyfriends, and acquaintances. But no strong leads ever materialized. Despite the disturbing nature of her disappearance and the years of threatening phone calls to her family, police were never able to identify a suspect.
Theories about Dorothy's killer varied. Some investigators and members of the public speculated that the perpetrator was someone she knew, possibly a former acquaintance who had become obsessed with her. This theory aligns with the caller's intimate knowledge of Dorothy's life and routines.
Despite the public interest and the best efforts of law enforcement, Dorothy Jane Scott's case remains unsolved, leaving a lingering sense of injustice and unanswered questions.
Sources:
“Murder of Dorothy Jane Scott.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Apr. 2025, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Dorothy_Jane_Scott.
Guy, Fiona. “A Dead Rose and a Black Widow: The Tragic Death of Dorothy Jane Scott.” Crime Traveller, 3 Jan. 2025, www.crimetraveller.org/2020/10/the-tragic-death-of-dorothy-jane-scott/.
Vanapalli, Viswa. “Dorothy Scott Murder: How Did She Die? Who Killed Her?” The Cinemaholic, 21 Oct. 2024, thecinemaholic.com/dorothy-scott-murder-how-did-she-die-who-killed-her/.
Windnagle, Jordan. “An Unknown Caller Stalked Her for Months, Then Got Away with Murder: The Haunting Case of Dorothy Scott.” Thought Catalog, Thought Catalog, 5 Sept. 2021, thoughtcatalog.com/jordan-windnagle/2020/04/an-unknown-caller-stalked-her-for-months-then-got-away-with-murder-the-haunting-case-of-dorothy-scott/.