Evelyn "Dottie" Lees (1898 - c. 1987) was a woman who was found in a clandestine grave in a desert area near a roadway and a railroad line in Florence, Arizona, on June 28, 1988.
She was identified by the DNA Doe Project in October 2024.
Reconstruction
Case[]
Investigators concluded that she was a victim of homicide by strangulation and estimated she had died up to a year before the discovery of her remains.
Lees was born in Utah in 1898 and lived in Scottsdale, Arizona, at the time of her disappearance.
Lees was never reported missing. Investigators believe she may have been used in a pension fraud case, as individuals collected Lees' pension benefits for over 10 years after her death. However, those individuals have also since died.
Characteristics[]
- Graying 4-inch blond hair.
- Slouched or hunchback posture.
- Evidence of spina bifida of sacrum, osteoporosis, diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH), and kyphosis.
- Osteoarthritis in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar vertebrae.
- Compression fractures of the T7-T11 vertebrae.
- Full upper denture.
Clothing and accessories[]
- Floral multicolored housecoat or dress with snaps in front.
- White underwear, size 8.
- Bra.
Sources[]
- Dottie Lees at the Doe Network
- Dottie Lees at the DNA Doe Project
- 12 News
- Arizona Republic
- AZ Family