Identified! NC- Wooded area near the Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, Jane Doe # UP51236, skeletal, 18/7/96, Dna- Betty Jean Benton, born '54, 2025 *Homicide*

[dotr]

After 29 years, Charlotte Jane Doe (1996) is Now Identified

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Leverages Othram's Genetic Testing Platform to Identify a 1996 Homicide Victim

dnasolves.com

''On July 18, 1996, skeletal remains were discovered in a wooded area near the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. An autopsy by the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the remains belonged to a female homicide victim. The case was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as case number UP51236. Despite extensive efforts—including forensic anthropology and traditional identification methods—the woman remained unidentified for more than two decades.

In 2024, with support from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Foundation, CMPD submitted the remains to Othram, a forensic laboratory specializing in advanced DNA testing.''

''After receiving the profile, CMPD enlisted the help of an additional team to perform genealogical research. Promising leads were developed and law enforcement investigators ultimately identified the woman as Betty Jean Benton. The identification was confirmed through a DNA sample provided by one of Benton’s relatives.

Betty Benton was born in Louisiana on February 27, 1954, and spent most of her life in Chicago, Illinois. Her family last heard from her in February 1991, when she said she was in North Carolina. She was reported missing in 1992, but no further trace of her was found—until now. The circumstances of her death remain under investigation.''

 

[dotr]

Murder Victim Identified Using Forensic Genetic Genealogy

Charlotte, N.C. (Friday, April 4, 2025) — Detectives with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) Cold Case Unit have identified a 1996 murder victim using forensic genetic genealogy.

www.charlottenc.gov

Published on April 04, 2025

Charlotte, N.C. (Friday, April 4, 2025) — Detectives with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) Cold Case Unit have identified a 1996 murder victim using forensic genetic genealogy.
''With funding from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Foundation, bones were sent to Othram Labs in Texas for advanced DNA testing. The first attempt to obtain DNA was unsuccessful due to the condition of the remains.

In 2024, the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner’s Office sent additional bones to Othram Labs for another DNA extraction. With continued funding from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Foundation, Othram Labs succeeded in obtaining a genetic profile. The victim’s profile was loaded into two consumer genealogy databases, GEDmatch and Family Tree DNA, which cooperate with law enforcement.''

 

[dotr]

rbbm

North Carolina cold case murder victim identified after nearly 3 decades, police say

Police said human skeletal remains were found in a wooded area next to the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte in 1996.

abc11.com

''Benton's family said she was born in Louisiana in 1954 and spent most of her life in Chicago, Illinois. They said they lost contact with Benton in February 1991 when she told them she was in North Carolina.

The family reported Benton missing in 1992, however, authorities said they have not found record of Benton living in North Carolina.

The CMPD Cold Case Unit has asked that anyone who may have had contact with Benton in North Carolina or who has information on her murder call (704)-432-TIPS to speak directly with a detective. Benton's case is still considered to be under investigation, CMPD said.''

 

[Grungster]

This case was solved by Ramapo and their INCREDIBLE genealogy team.