When duck hunters discovered human remains in an area called Saltair near The Great Salt Lake in Utah in the fall of 2000, investigators began the difficult task of trying to learn the real name of the woman they called “Saltair Sally.” It took 12 years for the remains to be identified as those of Nikole “Niki” Bakoles, a 20-year-old mom originally from Washington state. Now, nearly another 12 years have passed, and investigators are still trying to figure out what happened to Niki and who left her by that lake.
Episode Info
Investigators are still looking to talk to anyone who knew Niki Bakoles or Joel Chaudoin in the greater Salt Lake City area in early 2000. If you or anyone you know knew them, or if you have any information about Niki’s death, please contact Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Detective Ben Pender at 385-468-9816 or bpender@saltlakecounty.gov.

Postcard of the Saltair Pavilion. Courtesy of the Great Salt Lake Collaborative: A Solutions Journalism Initiative.

Niki Bakoles in a school photo. Provided by James Bakoles.

Photo of Niki Bakoles, provided by James Bakoles.

Photo of a young Niki Bakoles. Provided by James Bakoles.

Niki Bakoles with her newborn daughter, Chloe Chaudoin. Provided by James Bakoles.

Niki Bakoles as a newborn with her mother, Nancie Bakoles. Provided by James Bakoles

A sketch in the Niki Bakoles case file, based on a facial reconstruction of “Saltair Sally’s” skull before she was identified. Courtesy of Salt Lake County Sheriff’s cold case unit. Photo credit: Taylor Hartz.

Salt Lake County Sheriff’s cold case unit Detective Ben Pender points out the spot where duck hunters discovered the remains of “Saltair Sally” — later identified as Niki Bakoles — in an area called Saltair on the edge of The Great Salt Lake. Photo credit: Taylor Hartz.

Salt Lake County Sheriff’s cold case unit Detective Ben Pender holds a photo of Niki Bakoles near the spot where her remains were found, in an area called Saltair on the edge of The Great Salt Lake. Photo credit: Taylor Hartz.

Salt Lake County Sheriff’s cold case unit Detective Ben Pender holds a photo of Niki Bakoles near the spot where her remains where found, in an area called Saltair on the edge of The Great Salt Lake. Photo credit: Taylor Hartz.

Salt Lake County Sheriff’s cold case unit Detective Ben Pender drives to an area called Saltair on the edge of the Great Salt Lake in August, 2024, following a map to locate the exact spot where Niki Bakoles’ remains were found nearly 24 years ago. Photo credit: Taylor Hartz.

Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Detective Ben Pender and reporter Taylor Hartz visit the spot where Niki Bakoles’ remains were found in an area of Magna, Utah, called Saltair. Photo credit: Madison Cavalchire.
Episode Source Material
- The Salt Lake Tribune (Salt Lake City, Utah). Skeleton Found Near Lake; Clues to Identity Saught by Frank Curreri.
- The Salt Lake Tribune (Salt Lake City, UT): Dental Records, Public Input Key to Identifying Remains by Frank Curreri via newspapers.com.
- The Salt Lake Tribune (Salt Lake City, UT): Skull of Murdered Woman Used to Reconstruct Face by Shawn Foster via newspapers.com.
- The Salt Lake Tribune (Salt Lake City, UT): Artist’s Hardest Task: Bringing Remains to Life by Shawn Foster via newspapers.com. (1)
- The Salt Lake Tribune (Salt Lake City, UT): Artist’s Hardest Task: Bringing Remains to Life by Shawn Foster via newspapers.com. (2)
- The Salt Lake Tribune (Salt Lake City, UT): 12-year-old mystery solved: ‘Saltair Sally’ ID’d by Aaron Falk and Jessica Miller.
- The Deseret News (Salt Lake City, UT): After 12 years, police identify ‘Saltair Sally’ remains by Benjamin Wood.
- The Seattle Times (Seattle, WA): Renton family seeks help in solving years-old killing by Paul Foy.
- KSL (Salt Lake City, UT): Family brings home remains of daughter killed 12 years ago by Pat Reavy.
- Office for Science and Society – McGill University (Montreal, Quebec): The Case of “Saltair Sally” by Ariel Fenster PhD.
- ABC4 Utah (Salt Lake City, UT): The Justice Files: Who killed Niki Bakoles aka “Saltair Sally?” by Marcos Ortiz.
- Deseret News (Salt Lake City, UT): Who killed Nikole Bakoles? 23 years later, the case remains cold by Ariel Harmer.
- Profile of Distinguished Professor Jim Ehleringer, University of Utah, School Of Biological Sciences.
- Postcard of the Saltair Pavilion, courtesy of the Great Salt Lake Collaborative: A Solutions Journalism Initiative.