Detectives have successfully solved a cold case that had remained unsolved for decades. They were able to identify the body found in 1978 as belonging to a missing teenager from Iowa.
Few details were known about the remains that were discovered. According to the police, the body was adorned with a cat’s eye ring and had a tattoo that seemed to spell out “Dee.” Despite efforts to identify the remains, they could not be matched to any known individual. A headstone with the inscription “Lincoln County Jane Doe” was placed over the burial site, as reported by the police.
In 2009, the case details were uploaded to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System.
In 2023, officials made a significant breakthrough in the case. The buried remains were excavated and analyzed by anthropology faculty and students from Southeast Missouri State University. Surprisingly, it was determined that the body belonged to a teenager, not a middle-aged woman as previously thought. To extract DNA, samples from the remains were sent to Othram, a private DNA laboratory. Using advanced forensic-grade genome sequencing, the company successfully generated a DNA profile from a small sample.
Othram’s genealogy team utilized genome sequencing to uncover vital information, enabling them to generate new leads and develop a comprehensive genealogical profile, as stated by the police. This breakthrough led the Lincoln County Coroner’s Office to reach out to an individual who claimed to have a close family member fitting the description of the Jane Doe who went missing in 1977. Subsequently, a familial reference sample was collected.
Officials were able to identify “Lincoln County Jane Doe” as Helen Renee Groomes, a 15-year-old girl from Ottumwa, Iowa, through DNA testing. This confirmation came after the remains found were matched with a family member, providing closure to the case.
Kevin Groomes expressed his immense joy upon learning that his sister’s remains had been identified, as reported by local NBC News affiliate KSDK. The exhumed remains have been cremated following the identification.
According to KSDK, he mentioned that his sister had a tattoo that said “Del” and he admitted to being the one who had it inked. He revealed that it was the name of her boyfriend during that period.
Lincoln County Sheriff Rick Harrell expressed deep gratitude to SEMO, Othram, and the Lincoln County Coroner’s Office for their invaluable contributions. These teams played a crucial role in solving a long-standing mystery and providing closure to a grieving family.
