Cheryl Lynne Coates was a young woman found buried in 1985.
She was identified by Othram in December 2023.
Case[]
Coates' body was found in January 1985 in a shallow grave in Superior Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan.
Investigators were able to ascertain that she was African-American, likely between the ages of 15 and 25, and that she had been killed by a gunshot wound to the head within a few months of her discovery. However, they were unable to identify her.
The case remained cold until her genetic material was submitted to Othram in 2021; Othram's genealogical research allowed investigators to locate family eventually and, in December 2023, to confirm her identity as Cheryl Lynne Coates, who was known to reside in the Southfield or Detroit areas of Michigan.
Gallery[]
Sources[]
- Cheryl Coates at the Doe Network
- Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office (Facebook)
- FOX 2 Detroit
- DNASolves