The Little Girl in the Barrel: A Bear Brook Mystery Solved

Twenty-five years after the body of an unidentified little girl was discovered in a 55-gallon drum barrel near Bear Brook State Park, the New Hampshire Department of Justice announced today that Jane Allenstown Doe 2000 has finally been identified as Rea Rassmussen. 

“We never forgot Rea,” said New Hampshire State Police Detective Sergeant Christopher N. Elphick. “We never stopped looking. This case has passed through the hands of many investigators, all of whom felt the weight of speaking for those who no longer could. Naming her brings a sense of justice but also reminds us of the unanswered questions that remain.” 

The journey to Rea’s identity began nearly four decades ago, when hunters discovered the unidentified remains of a woman and a young girl near Bear Brook State Park in New Hampshire. Their bodies had been hidden inside a barrel, and their deaths were ruled as homicides. With little evidence to follow and no clues to their identities, the case eventually went cold.

Fifteen years later, a New Hampshire state trooper revisiting the scene made a chilling discovery: another barrel, just a short distance away. Inside were the remains of two more young girls. Investigators believed all four victims were connected and had been in the woods the entire time, just waiting to be found.

DNA testing confirmed that the woman was biologically related to two of the young girls, but their connection to the third child, who became known as “the middle child,” remained unknown.

It wasn’t until years later that investigators uncovered the missing link: a man named Terry Rasmussen.

Known for using multiple aliases, Terry Rasmussen moved frequently across the country and wherever he went, people seemed to vanish. Investigators later linked him to a series of murders, missing persons and unidentified victims stretching from New Hampshire to California. Because of his ability to reinvent himself and avoid detection, he became known as the “Chameleon Killer.”

Terry Rasmussen in 1973. (Credit: New Hampshire Department of Justice)

Rasmussen was eventually convicted of murdering his girlfriend in California, but by then suspicions surrounded him in several other cases, some still unsolved to this day. However, while serving his sentence for murder, Rasmussen died in prison in 2010.

Seven years after his death, he also became the key suspect in the Bear Brook murders, when DNA connected him to the crime scene—revealing that one of the children, the third child, was his biological daughter. 

In 2008, state police turned to NCMEC for help identifying the Bear Brook victims. In addition to providing forensic resources such as DNA testing and advanced analytical support, NCMEC elevated the cases nationally, creating numerous facial reconstructions, missing posters and driving widespread media outreach. This work reflects a larger effort—NCMEC is actively working to recover the identities of more than 630 unidentified deceased children nationwide.

Over the years, multiple agencies got involved in the case, piecing together Rasmussen’s many identities and uncovering chilling details about his life. In 2018, a tip helped point to the identities of three of the four victims, and in 2019, advanced testing and genetic genealogy confirmed them as Marlyse Honeychurch and her two young daughters, Marie and Sarah. 

Marlyse Honeychurch and her daughters, Marie and Sarah. (Credit: New Hampshire Department of Justice)

Police say that Honeychurch was last seen in California around November 1978 when she introduced her family to her new boyfriend, Terry Rasmussen. After that, the family never saw Marlyse or the girls again. According to investigators, Rasmussen is the primary suspect in their murders.

Despite the breakthroughs in the case, one question still lingered: the identity of the final victim, Jane Allenstown Doe 2000.

A mystery that remained unsolved—until today. 

After the discovery of the other three victims, NCMEC and investigators pursued leads on the third child’s identity. Advanced DNA testing by Astrea Forensics pointed to genetic genealogy as the best path forward. Firebird Forensics worked on the case for years until 2024, when New Hampshire State Police partnered with DNA Doe Project, who uncovered a crucial lead—a possible mother to the child…a woman named Pepper Reed.

Pepper Reed was last seen by her family in Texas during Christmas of 1975. At the time, she was pregnant. According to the family, the child’s father was Terry Rasmussen. However, after Christmas, the family said that Pepper moved to California. They never met the child or saw Pepper again.

Quickly after identifying Pepper as the possible mother, DNA Doe Project made another discovery, a birth record from Orange County, California, for a baby girl born in 1976 named Rea Rasmussen. The birth certificate listed Rea’s parents as Terry Rasmussen and Pepper Reed—confirmation that this was the lead that investigators had been searching for all along.

Pepper had one surviving sibling, a brother, who was believed to be the uncle of Jane Allenstown Doe 2000. In September 2025, DNA testing with Bode Technology funded by NCMEC’s Child Justice Project grant confirmed the identity investigators had been searching for: Jane Allenstown Doe 2000 was Rea Rasmussen.

At the time of her death, Rea was between 2 and 4 years old. Unfortunately, there are no known photographs of Rea, so investigators are continuing to use NCMEC’s facial reconstruction to provide the most accurate visual of what Rea may have looked like.

Facial reconstruction of Rea Rasmussen completed by NCMEC forensic artists. (Credit: NCMEC)

“For 25 years, Rea’s story has been defined by tragedy, rather than her name,” said Carol Schweitzer, program manager of NCMEC’s Forensic Services Division. “This moment reflects years of persistence, innovation and collaboration across agencies who never gave up hope. Today, we can finally speak Rea’s name and provide long-awaited answers to her family and the community who has loved her.” 

With Rea’s name restored, investigators now have another mystery to solve: what happened to Rea’s mother, Pepper Reed?

Investigators believe that Pepper may have also been a victim of Terry Rasmussen. Police are looking for any information on the whereabouts and fate of Pepper Reed, who was last seen in the late 1970s. 

Pepper Reed at approximately 16-17 years old. (Credit: Pepper’s Family)

Investigators are also looking for any information on Terry Rasmussen’s movements between 1974 and 1985, particularly in New Hampshire, California, Arizona, Texas, Oregon and Virginia.

If you have any information on Terry, Pepper or Rea, please contact the New Hampshire Cold Case Unit at 800-525-5555 or email them at coldcaseunit@dos.nh.gov.

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For more information on unidentified work at NCMEC, visit our website at: https://www.missingkids.org/theissues/helpidme.