Identified! TX - Pecos, WhtFem, 17-20, UP13480, in motel swimming pool Jul'66 - Jolaine Hemmy

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I'm so glad we may finally have a resolution in this case. This has been one of my pet cases.

It may be one of the oldest cases to be solved in this way (if indeed it was solved with forensic genealogy). That sets a good precedent for other old cold cases. Half the battle with cases this old, though, is locating remains. A lot of police forces didn't write down where they buried a doe, or they did but lost the paperwork sometime over the last several decades. I hope someday that Does will be a thing of the past. Some will never be identified (lost remains, cremated) but every new Doe found could be identified this way, and never again will a family go decades wondering what became of their loved one.

For a really long old case that involves genealogy, look at what BODE did: 72 Bones Found in New London Barn Connect to Schoolteacher Who Died in 1881 – May Be Oldest Genetic Genealogy Case to Date. - Providing a new chance at closure for cold cases

A school teacher that died in 1881... That would be 140 years ago! Othram did the lab part and built a DNA profile. Genealogists at BODE did the genealogy and found out who she was.
 
For a really long old case that involves genealogy, look at what BODE did: 72 Bones Found in New London Barn Connect to Schoolteacher Who Died in 1881 – May Be Oldest Genetic Genealogy Case to Date. - Providing a new chance at closure for cold cases

A school teacher that died in 1881... That would be 140 years ago! Othram did the lab part and built a DNA profile. Genealogists at BODE did the genealogy and found out who she was.
Thanks for pointing out this fascinating case, was unaware that we had a thread for it too!
Identified! - OH - Fem, bones, found in garage, 13-20, New London, Sept 2016 - Hallie Armstrong, died in 1881
 
This has definitely been a pet case of mine for a long time. Between her and Vance getting their names back this month, it’s been very emotional for me. It’s almost surreal. And to know that identifications are able to made as quickly as they have been, is.... extraordinary. Old cases, new cases, difficult cases, they all have hope where there used to be none. I don’t think enough people realize and appreciate that. It’s definitely a beacon of light in this otherwise dark world.
 
This has definitely been a pet case of mine for a long time. Between her and Vance getting their names back this month, it’s been very emotional for me. It’s almost surreal. And to know that identifications are able to made as quickly as they have been, is.... extraordinary. Old cases, new cases, difficult cases, they all have hope where there used to be none. I don’t think enough people realize and appreciate that. It’s definitely a beacon of light in this otherwise dark world.

You are correct to note the solves are coming more quickly! The laboratory and informatics processes are improving constantly. In addition, we can now go back to cases that were unsuccessfully attempted and we can get those cases working too. Expect to hear lots more on cases that have previously stalled out or have not had updates. For us, we especially love working with NCMEC. Really great organization that does amazing things, coordinating team efforts to solve cold cases involving children.

As long as the evidence has not been fully consumed, there is hope!
 
From Facebook (Unidentified and Missing People page):
Announcement
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- Pecos Jane Doe found in 1966 in Texas -
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Press conference scheduled for Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 2pm local time.
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Case Details: Pecos, Texas - 55 years ago, in July 1966, a young woman drowned in Ropers Motel pool in Pecos, Texas.
The day of her death, the Pecos Jane Doe checked into the Ropers Motel with an unknown male companion. They used the names , Mr. and Mrs. Russell Battoun, at check in. The man was believed to have been around 25 years old had a slender build and short blonde hair. The young woman was believed to have been between 17-20 years old, 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighed around 120 pounds. She was wearing a pair of dark shorts and a flowered blouse.
Later that day, a hotel employee found the woman’s lifeless body in the pool. Hotel staff called an ambulance but the woman had died. As the Pecos Jane Doe was being taken away in an ambulance, the male companion checked out from the hotel and was never seen again.
The victim is buried with a gravestone marked, ‘Unknown Girl Drowned July 5, 1966” and Pecos Police Department officials continue to visit her grave and bring flowers.
The Pecos Jane Doe artistic sketch was prepared by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and provides a suggestion of what she may have looked like during her life.
 
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So sad. She was 17 and the circumstances are shady. Family suspects she was kidnapped by the man she was seen with.

She was reported missing and her family tried to get answers. But i guess LE back then did not cross county borders and was not as well connected as today. Nobody would have thought she would be found so far away from home.
 
Here is our announcement:
After 55 years, Pecos Jane Doe is Identified!

Thanks to Pecos PD, NCMC, Innovative Forensic, and others. We will have more updates shortly...
About Othram Inc.
Othram is the world’s first private DNA laboratory built specifically to apply the power of modern parallel sequencing to forensic evidence. Othram’s scientists are experts at recovery, enrichment, and analysis of human DNA from trace quantities of degraded or contaminated materials. Founded in 2018, and located in The Woodlands, Texas, our team works with academic researchers, forensic scientists, medical examiners, and law enforcement agencies to achieve results when other approaches have failed. Follow Othram on Twitter @OthramTech visit Othram - Justice Through Genomics to learn how we can help you with your case. Visit DNASolves - Your DNA Could Help Solve a Crime to learn how anyone can make a difference in helping solve the next cold case.
 
Pecos Police Department Jane Doe Press Conference January 19,2021

Thanks for posting this link - I was able to listen while working. What an amazing story and once again we find out that the family was always looking. I hope her identification brings them some peace, Kudos to Othram and all the others who worked this case! I hope every solve raises the profile of what genetic genealogy can do and more PDs go this route to identify their does!
 

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