Unidentified Wiki
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Vandy Doe

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"Vandy Doe" was the nickname given to a woman whose body was discovered along a rural road in Nashville, Tennessee, on September 8, 2018. She was believed to have been the victim of a homicide.

She is currently undergoing genealogical research with DNA Investigative Solutions.

Case[]

The woman's body was initially discovered at approximately 10:40 AM by a couple driving down the secluded 4400 block of Sulphur Creek Road. After noticing a bird dragging what appeared to be a human skull, they looked into a ditch that ran several feet away parallel to the roadside and found the rest of her remains. She was severely decomposed and had no shoes. Evidence at the scene suggested the body had been dumped at the discovery site and intentionally hidden under brush and weeds.

At approximately 1040 hours, a couple were driving down Sulphur Creek Rd when they saw a bird pulling something on the roadway.  As they drove closer, they realized the bird was pulling a human skull.  They stopped the car to verify what they were looking at was real.  They looked in the ditch and saw a human body.  They immediately notified police.  The body was located several feet off the roadway.

Based on the multiple pieces of Vanderbilt University apparel she was wearing, investigators believe she may have ties to the university or had possibly attended various recent nearby events. Her clothing is also what led to her nickname.

The woman's remains were exhumed in October 2022 and submitted for forensic reanalysis and DNA extraction by Othram in order to conduct investigative genetic genealogy. Information learned from this early genealogical research was released by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department later that year, indicating she was half Italian-American paternally and half African-American maternally. She was previously believed to be fully black.

Genetic ties have been found to the U.S. states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Texas, and Tennessee. Family names of interest from the Italian-American side of her family tree are Mangarelli, Mengarelli, Brunetti, Sagrati, Avaltroni, and Hays. Family surnames of interest from the African-American side of her family are Butler and Moore.

The decedent was initially reported to be between 15 and 25 years old. This estimate was later adjusted in NamUs to a range of 20 to 40 years in 2022 but was changed back to between 15 and 25 years in 2024. In early 2025, after a forensic anthropologist reexamined her bones, her age was re-estimated to be between 21 and 35 years.

Characteristics[]

  • Curly black hair.

Clothing and accessories[]

  • Black Under Armour jacket with text reading "VANDY" stitched under the Vanderbilt University logo.
  • Black undershirt.
  • Black ZooZatz leggings with a geometric pattern of the Vanderbilt University logo.
  • Black and green sports bra with leopard print.
  • White metal From the Heart necklace that was missing its pendant.
  • Black ZooZatz Hip Rocker running belt with zipper pocket and Vanderbilt University logo.
  • White socks.

Gallery[]

Exclusions[]

Sources[]

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