“I’ve Got Her”: The Haunting Case of Dorothy Jane Scott
On a quiet Wednesday night in May 1980, Dorothy Jane Scott walked out of a hospital in Orange County, California — and disappeared into the darkness.
Her car would be found hours later, burned in an alley. Her body would not be found for four years.
And for years after she vanished, a man kept calling her family with a simple, chilling message:
“I’ve got her.”
This is the unsolved case of Dorothy Jane Scott — a story of stalking before stalking laws existed, a disappearance that unfolded in real time over telephone lines, and a family forced to endure unimaginable psychological torment.
Who Was Dorothy Jane Scott?
Dorothy Jane Scott was 32 years old. A single mother. A devoted parent to her young son, Shawn. A quiet, dependable woman described by friends as kind, responsible, and deeply family-oriented.
She lived in Stanton, California — a small Orange County community in 1980 — and worked as a secretary and bookkeeper for two Anaheim shops. She didn’t party. She didn’t date much. She spent her free time at church or with family. Dorothy was, by every account, a woman living a steady, ordinary life.
Until someone began watching her.
The Calls That Came Before
In late 1979, Dorothy started receiving strange phone calls at work and at home. At first, the caller claimed to love her. Then the tone shifted.
He told her he knew where she went.
What she wore.
When she left work.
And when Dorothy rejected him, the calls turned violent.
He threatened to kill her.
He told her he would cut her into pieces.
On one occasion, he instructed her to go outside — where she found a single dead rose placed on her car.
Dorothy told her parents she recognized the voice but couldn’t place it. She took self-defense classes. She carried a knife. She changed her phone number. She even moved houses — but the calls always found her again.
In 1980, stalking was not yet a recognized crime. There were no protective orders for behavior like this. Dorothy was doing everything she could — but she was largely on her own.
The Night Everything Changed
On May 28, 1980, Dorothy attended a work meeting. When a coworker became ill from a severe spider bite, Dorothy insisted on driving him to the hospital. Another coworker accompanied them.
They arrived at UCI Medical Center late that evening. Dorothy stayed with her friend the entire time. When he was discharged after midnight, Dorothy told them she would pull her car around to the entrance.
She walked alone into the parking lot.
She never came back.
Minutes later, her coworkers saw a white station wagon speeding through the lot — headlights glaring, driver unseen — running a stop sign as it exited the hospital grounds. They assumed Dorothy had rushed off to a family emergency.
Hours passed. No return. No call.
By dawn, police found Dorothy’s car in a Santa Ana alley — burned, headlights still on, driver’s door open, gas can in the trunk. Dorothy was gone.
“I’ve Got Her.”
About a week later, Dorothy’s father answered the family phone.
A man asked, “Are you related to Dorothy Scott?”
When her father said yes, the voice replied:
“I’ve got her.”
And hung up.
Soon after, a local newspaper ran the first story about Dorothy’s disappearance. That same day, the editor received a call.
The man claimed Dorothy was “his love.”
He said he caught her cheating.
He said he killed her.
And he knew details of the hospital night that had never been released publicly.
The caller had been there.
Four Years of Torment
For the next four years, the calls continued.
Always brief.
Always calm.
Always cruel.
“I’ve got her.”
“I killed her.”
“Is Dorothy home?”
Police attempted to trace the calls, but technology in the early 1980s required the caller to stay on the line. He never did. He called at irregular times. He stayed anonymous. He vanished after every taunt.
For Dorothy’s mother, Vera, every ringing phone was terror.
The Canyon Discovery
In August 1984, construction workers clearing land in the Santa Ana Mountains uncovered human bones. Nearby lay a turquoise ring Dorothy had worn — and a wristwatch stopped at approximately 12:30 AM the night she disappeared.
Dental records confirmed the remains were Dorothy Jane Scott.
Cause of death could not be determined. Too much time had passed. Too little evidence remained.
But the discovery finally ended four years of agonizing uncertainty for her family.
Who Was the Caller?
Despite confessions over the phone, despite knowledge of unreleased details, the caller was never identified.
One acquaintance — a man who worked near Dorothy’s job and reportedly expressed an obsessive interest in her — has long circulated in online discussions as a possible suspect. However, he was never charged, never officially named by police, and later passed away.
Other theories range from a secret admirer to an unknown predator who fixated on Dorothy. But no definitive evidence has ever surfaced.
The truth remains unknown.
A Case That Changed How We View Stalking
Dorothy Jane Scott disappeared before stalking laws existed. Her case — along with several others in the 1980s — helped push law enforcement and lawmakers to recognize stalking as a serious and dangerous crime.
Today, victims have more tools for protection. But for Dorothy, those protections came too late.
Where the Case Stands Today
Dorothy Jane Scott’s murder remains unsolved. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department continues to list her case as open.
Her son Shawn, now grown, still hopes someone will come forward with information that finally reveals the man behind the voice on the line.
Have Information?
If you know anything about the disappearance or murder of Dorothy Jane Scott, investigators still want to hear from you.
Orange County Sheriff’s Office Tip Line:
714-647-7000
Crime Stoppers (Anonymous):
714-628-7675
Cold Case Unit Email:
coldcase@ocsheriff.gov
If you or someone you know is dealing with stalking, harassment, or feeling unsafe:
Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, text START to 88788, or chat at thehotline.org.
If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
Remembering Dorothy
Dorothy Jane Scott was a mother. A daughter. A friend. A woman whose kindness led her to help someone in need — and whose life was taken by a man who believed obsession was love.
Her family never stopped searching for answers.
And neither should we.
Have thoughts on this story or other cases you’d like to see highlighted? Share them with us in the comments or connect with us on social media. Together, we can ensure that stories like this one are never forgotten.
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See you in the next episode of Crime Clueless!
Resources:
Authoritative Case Summaries & Official Records
Orange County Sheriff’s Department Cold Case Page — Dorothy Jane Scott
https://www.ocsheriff.gov/page/may-1980-dorothy-jane-scott — Official cold case summary with basic facts about her disappearance and ongoing investigation.
Wikipedia – Murder of Dorothy Jane Scott
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Dorothy_Jane_Scott — A detailed overview of the disappearance, stalking calls, investigation, and discovery of remains.
Podcast & Media Coverage
Cold and Missing Podcast: Dorothy Jane Scott Episode Page
https://www.coldandmissing.com/cold-and-missing-dorothy-jane-scott/ — Episode overview with case details and a call-to-action for tips.
Cold and Missing Podcast on Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/cold-and-missing-dorothy-jane-scott/id1641010461?i=1000699013318 — Direct link to an episode covering the case.
In-Depth Narrative Articles
Criminal (Vocal Media) – The Disappearance and Murder of Dorothy Jane Scott
https://vocal.media/criminal/the-disappearance-and-murder-of-dorothy-jane-scott — A longform narrative piece on Dorothy’s life, the calls, disappearance, and legacy.
Medium – The Unsolved Murder of Dorothy Jane Scott
https://unquestionablycriminal.medium.com/stalked-threatened-and-never-seen-again-the-unsolved-murder-of-dorothy-jane-scott-a4b786de2364 — A detailed Medium article on the case. Weird True Crime – The Unsolved Abduction and Murder of Dorothy Jane Scott
https://weirdtruecrime.com/the-unsolved-abduction-and-murder-of-dorothy-jane-scott/ — Narrative summary of the disappearance and investigation.
Additional Community & Reference Pages
The True Crime Database – Dorothy Scott Case File
https://www.thetruecrimedatabase.com/case_file/dorothy-scott/ — Case profile with timeline and key details.
Unsolved Mysteries Wiki – Dorothy Jane Scott
https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Dorothy_Jane_Scott — Summary entry with key points from the disappearance.
Wikipedia – List of Kidnappings: 1980–1989 (Dorothy listed)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_kidnappings%3A_1980%E2%80%931989 — Includes Dorothy’s case in a decade overview of kidnappings (for historical context).
Historical News Reports (Contemporaneous)
Hope Dims for a Quiet Woman Who Vanished — Los Angeles Times
An early report on Dorothy’s disappearance from June 1980, shortly after she was reported missing following the strange hospital incident.
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-dorothy-jane-scott/7896312/?locale=en-US
Remains Confirm Family’s Fears — Los Angeles Times
Covers the 1984 discovery and identification of Dorothy’s skeletal remains. (You can search this exact headline in LA Times archives for a permalink if needed — this clipping is widely cited in case summaries.)
Caller Claims He Killed OC Woman — Orange County Register (1980)
Quoted in multiple case compilations as the original newspaper report about the anonymous caller claiming responsibility for Dorothy’s murder. Available through archived headlines referenced in public records.
🔗 Remains Are Identified; Mom Missing Since ’80 — Orange County Register (1984)
Referenced directly in the encyclopedia summary of this case as the paper that confirmed Dorothy’s remains.
