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This page summarizes major developments being processed with unidentified individuals.  


November 2019[]

Grundy County Jane Doe[]

A female was discovered murdered by the side of a road in 1979 in Erienna Township, Illinois. In November 2019, extended relatives have been identified in Alabama through genealogy.

January 2020[]

Kenosha County John Doe (1993)[]

A man whose decomposed remains were discovered near the Soo Line Railroad in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. On January 14, 2020, it was announced by the Kenosha County Medical Examiner's office that the decedent may have ties to the Catawba Nation of South Carolina, as well as possible relatives in Sonora, Mexico.

Ventura County Jane Doe (1980)[]

A female who was found murdered by Wilson Chouest in Westlake, California in 1980. On January 23, the DNA Doe Project announced that she potentially had ties to Southern Texas, Northern & Central Mexico, Northern New Mexico, Southern Colorado, Southern California or Guatemala. The DDP is seeking the public's help with narrowing down these locations.

February 2020[]

Tucson John Doe (1976)[]

A male whose partial remains were discovered near Kitt Peak, Arizona in 1976. In February 2020, it was announced that there were plans to exhume his remains for DNA profiling and comparison against missing persons.

A potential identity, Kenneth Dean, from Michigan was proposed, however no definitive identification has yet been made.

August 2020[]

Betty the Bag Lady[]

An elderly woman found deceased with her hands severed in New Buffalo, Michigan. In August 2020, it was announced that the DNA Doe Project was following potential leads in regards to her case and had identified several surnames of interest.

September 2020[]

Trabuco Canyon John Doe[]

A teenage/young man who's skeletal remains were discovered in a ravine in Trabuco Canyon, California. In September, 2020, the DNA Doe Project found that the male was most likely between 15 and 19 years old, and that he or his relatives were from a remote area of Latin America. NCMEC also updated his reconstruction to portray more Hispanic characteristics.

October 2020[]

New London Jane Doe[]

A young woman whose partial skeletal remains were discovered in a garage in New London, Ohio in 2016. In October 2020, The Porchlight Project announced that genetic genealogy revealed a link to a woman named Hallie Armstrong who died in 1881. However, her identity hasn't been confirmed because there are currently no close DNA matches available.

Nashville Jane Doe (1998)[]

A middle-age female was recovered from the Cumberland River in Nashville, Tennessee on March 18, 1998 with two gunshot wounds to her head. Recent genealogy research indicated she had family residing in Chilton County, Alabama.

January 2021[]

Bear Brook Jane Doe[]

A girl who was found dead in Allenstown, New Hampshire in 2000. She is the only remaining unidentified victim of the Bear Brooks Murders. In January 2021, it was announced that the New Hampshire State Police have teamed up with Barbara Rae-Venter in order to establish the victim's identity and it is believed she has ties to Pearl River County, Mississippi.

February 2021[]

Becca[]

A woman found hanging in a motel shower in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A photo of the woman was found with her. In March 2021, it was announced that a break in the case had been made, and the woman may have been from California and gone by the name "Becca".

April 2021[]

Snohomish County John Doe (2007)[]

A new reconstruction was released along with the decedent's geographic ties discovered through genetic genealogy. He has ties with Texas, Louisiana, Ohio and Indiana with Amish and Mennonite heritages from the latter two states.

York County John Doe (2013)[]

A man who was initially believed to be white found in West Manchester Township, Pennsylvania. Admixture testing done by the DNA Doe Project found that the man was actually of over 75% Sub-Saharan descent, meaning he was most likely African American. A new reconstruction was made in April 2021 to reflect this new find.

An announcement was also made that the man may have various genealogical ties to the US including regions of North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, New Jersey, and Arkansas.

May 2021[]

Portland Jane Doe (2015)[]

A woman who possibly died by suicide by drowning in Portland, Maine. In May 2021, it was announced that she was most likely a recent immigrant from Korea with family in New York and the surrounding tri-state area.

September 2021[]

Clarington Jane Doe[]

A woman found near a service road leading to the Darlington Nuclear Plant in Clarington/Bowmanville, Ontario. Initially believed to be white or of First Nations ethnicity, the DNA Doe Project found that the woman was most likely of African American or Asian ancestry through admixture testing in September, 2021.

LaSalle County Jane Doe[]

A woman who was found in a cornfield in LaSalle County, Illinois in 1991. In September 2021, it was announced that the decedent was undergoing genealogy testing and first cousins had been identified, with more testing required to make a conclusive identification.

Barstow Jane Doe[]

A female whose severed head was found inside a backpack in Barstow, California in 2010. The San Bernardino County Coroner’s Office revealed they have been working with Barbara Rae-Venter in order to identify the decedent.

December 2021[]

King County John Doe (May 2018)[]

A man found floating in Lake Washington off of Mercer Island in Washington. The DNA Doe Project began investigating his identity in October 2021. Admixture testing later found that he was most likely of Caucasian and Native American ancestry. He was previously speculated to be Asian.

Monique (1997)[]

A woman who was found in a burned vehicle in Phoenix, Arizona. Testing by the DNA Doe Project found that she has distant family in Mississippi.

April 2022[]

Penrose John Doe[]

A man whose remains were discovered in various parts of New South Wales, Australia in 1997. In April 2022, a reward of $500,000 AUD was offered in the hopes of generating leads about the man's identity or murderer. A new reconstruction was also released.

June 2022[]

Alameda County Jane Doe[]

A woman whose skeleton was discovered in a marshy area of Newark, California in 1985. Her mother, now deceased, and a half-sister were located by the DNA Doe Project by June 2022 and she is believed to have been put up for adoption shortly after birth like her half-sister was.

September 2022[]

Baker County John Doe[]

A man whose partial remains were found in a wooded area of MacClenny, Florida. It was revealed by the DNA Doe Project that he had ancestral ties to Colombia in September 2022.

October 2022[]

Gwinnett County John Doe[]

A man who was found in a wooded area in Buford, Georgia. He is currently undergoing testing by the DNA Doe Project after the successful identifications of Brittany Davis and Gordon Rexrode. Recent testing by the project found that he was of Hispanic ancestry rather than Caucasian ancestry like previously thought, with ties to Guatemala and Mexico.

Chautauqua County Jane Doe[]

A young woman who was found murdered in Ellery, New York in 1983. In October 2022, it was announced by investigators that she has ancestral ties to the Netherlands, Belgium, and/or what was then West Germany. They also believe she has at least one child who would now be in their 40s or 50s.

Grand County John Doe[]

A young man who was found in Arches National Park near Moab, Utah on February 12, 1983. In October 2022, it was announced that detectives believe the decedent to be missing teen Robert Peay, and have tracked down his biological parents in order to collect DNA.

Orlando Jane Doe[]

A woman who was found murdered in Orlando, Florida on November 9, 1984. It was announced in October 2022 that investigators were using genetic genealogy to solve her case and had identified a close relative of the decedent who lived in the Orlando area.

Peaches[]

A woman whose dismembered torso was found in Hempstead Lake State Park, New York in 1997. Additional remains were found in 2011 and linked to the Long Island Serial Killer case. In October 2022, it was announced by the Mobile Police Department that the FBI were asking for relatives of an Alabama man named Elijah "Lige" Howell or Howard (1927-1963) to come forward as they may recognize this victim and her child.

Gilgo Beach Doe[]

A child whose remains were found in Gilgo Beach, New York on April 4, 2011. In October 2022, it was announced by the Mobile Police Department that the FBI were asking for relatives of an Alabama man named Elijah "Lige" Howell or Howard (1927-1963) to come forward as they may recognize this victim and her mother.

May 2023[]

Milwaukee Jane Doe (1982)[]

An accidental drowning victim of African descent located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in March 1982. In May 2023, she was found to potentially have family members located in the Atlanta, Georgia area after genetic genealogy research began. The decedent was approximately 15-25, bearing unique scars and an unknown previous abdominal surgery.

October 2023[]

Sonoma County John Doe (2002)[]

A man who was found murdered in Sonoma, California, in 2002. In October 2023, it was revealed by the DNA Doe Project that specific places of interest in relation to his identity in Mexico are Durango, Jalisco, Michocan, and Zacatecas.

November 2023[]

Mary Anderson[]

A woman who was found in a Seattle hotel in 1996 under a false identity. In November 2023, it was revealed that she or her family was possibly of Persian descent from Eastern Iran or Afghanistan.

December 2023[]

Why John Doe (2014)[]

A young man who was found in a desert area in Why, Arizona on April 18, 2014. In December 2023, it was revealed by Ramapo College that he is most likely of Mexican descent. In an attempt to solicit information from the public, they released possible familial surnames and regions of interest; the latter includes Southern California, Arizona, Sinaloa, Mexico, and Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

January 2024[]

Claudia[]

An unidentified woman was found in a brush north of Blythe, California. She was killed by Happy Face Killer, Keith Jespersen. Parabon Nanolabs released their two Snapshot facial reconstructions. In addition, investigators found her biological father and several half siblings. However, they could not locate her mother since the father conceived nine children from five women. Her maternal family could be from Louisiana and/or southeast Texas.

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