Identified! MO - Daviess County, WhtFem 20-40, UP17221, Blond, 5'4", found on remote farm, 23 Dec 1988 *id'd Feb 2026 - Patricia Elaine (Oveson) Englund (43)*

[ChatteringBirds]

I believe there is enough information to help solve this case.
Jane Doe was found with some valuables (money, gold necklace) so I believe was not a victim of robbery and probably was a victim of someone she knew.
I believe we should look at women missing from nearby states, as well as Missouri.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

Unidentified Person / NamUs #UP17221
Female, White / Caucasian
Date Body Found: December 23, 1988
Location Found: Daviess County, Missouri
ME/C Case Number: 185-88
Biological Sex: Female
Estimated Age Group: Adult - Pre 50
Estimated Age Range (Years): 20-40
Estimated Year of Death: No Information provided
Estimated PMI: No Information provided
Height : 5' 4"(64 inches) , Estimated
Weight: 120 lbs, Estimated
Condition of Remains: Not recognizable - Decomposition
Hair Color: Blond/Strawberry
Head Hair Description: 5" in length
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinctive Physical Features: No Information Entered

Circumstances of Recovery: Remains were found in a shallow grave on a remote farm in Daviess County, MO.

Clothing and Accessories
Accessories: Pocket contents: coins, paper currency, cigarette lighter, Near the Body

Clothing: Long sleeve zippered dark blue windbreaker (David Benjamin); Lee jeans (blue, size 6, petite), Light tan button front shirt; Maidenform bra (size 34 A); Panty hose; Light green bikini underwear with a lace trim (Playboy brand, size 7), On the Body

Footwear: White open toe sling pumps with a 2" heel, On the Body

Jewelry: Thin gold chain necklace with a knot at the front and a gold clasp for fastening around the neck, On the Body

Investigating Agencies:
Kansas City Police Department
(816) 234-5136

Agency Case Number: 06-223131

NamUs Case Created: November 15, 2017

 

[ChatteringBirds]

@Caring1 Does Jane Doe have any exclusions in NamUs? Thank you.

 

[Lagonas]

Here are some news articles about this case I found on Facebook

 

[Caring1]

@Caring1 Does Jane Doe have any exclusions in NamUs? Thank you.

0 Missing Person Exclusions

 

[Bethan]

DBM, geographical error

 

[Melquiades]

Seems odd that coins were found on the body but those haven’t been used (or at least released, in the NAMUS profile) to create a PMI estimate of ‘after 19xx’.

 

[The4TierBridge]

Identified as 43yo Patricia Elaine Englund thru DNA testing & IGG: After 37 years, Daviess County Jane Doe (1987) is Identified

 

[dotr]

Patricia Elaine Englund

After 37 years, Daviess County Jane Doe (1987) is Identified

Kansas City Police Department, Daviess County Sheriff's Office, & Missouri State Highway Patrol Team with Othram to Identify a 1988 Homicide Victim

dnasolves.com

"In December 1988, the remains of an unidentified woman were found in a shallow grave on a remote farm in Daviess County, Missouri, which is located northeast of Kansas City, MO. Law enforcement agencies responded and began collecting evidence and investigating the case as a homicide. They estimated the woman's height to be 5'4" and weight to be 120 pounds. Investigators believed the woman was between the ages of 20 and 40 at the time of her death.

During the investigation, coins, paper currency, and a cigarette lighter were found near the woman's body. The woman was fully clothed, wearing a long sleeve zippered dark blue windbreaker, Lee denim jeans, and a light tan button-front shirt. Despite a lengthy investigation, the woman could not be identified and became known as Daviess County Jane Doe (1988). Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP17221.

In February 2025, investigators teamed with Othram to leverage identity inference, a process that enables investigators to identify individuals from DNA evidence, even when there is no known reference sample to initially compare against. Officials with the Kansas City Police Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Laboratory, and the Daviess County Sheriff's Office worked together to submit forensic evidence to Othram's laboratory headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas.

At Othram, scientists reviewed details of the case, determining that advanced DNA testing could help to identify the woman. Othram scientists worked to develop a DNA extract from the provided skeletal remains, using Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive SNP profile for the woman. This SNP profile powered a forensic search led by Othram's in-house forensic genetic genealogy team, resulting in new investigative leads about the woman's identity.

Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the woman. Reference DNA samples were collected from a relative and compared to the DNA profile of the unidentified woman. This investigation led to the positive identification of the woman, who is now known to be Patricia Elaine (Oveson) Englund, born April 11, 1945.

Legislation sponsored by State Representative Tricia Byrnes of Wentzville enabled Othram's work in this case. In 2024, Rep. Byrnes secured $1.5 million in state funding in support of the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s efforts to identify unidentified human remains through forensic genetic genealogy.

This is the 27th publicly announced case in the State of Missouri where officials leveraged Othram’s identity inference pipeline. Explore other cases on Othram’s website.

 

[GatorsNorth]

Identified as 43yo Patricia Elaine Englund thru DNA testing & IGG: After 37 years, Daviess County Jane Doe (1987) is Identified

Very happy that she has her name back!

 

[victoriarobinson642]

The last trace of her I saw was in 1985 in Helena, Montana. I wonder how she ended up in Missouri.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

I wonder what her story is. May she rest in peace.