The King County Sheriff’s Office recently received good news on its efforts to identify the remains of eight individuals who have been long termed “John/Jane Doe” homicide victims, Cindi West, KCSO spokeswoman, said March 19.
Some of those cases are local.
The Bode Technology Group, working under a National Institute of Justice Grant, was able to obtain full DNA profiles on the remains of seven of eight sets of remains sent to them, and a strong partial profile on the eighth set of remains, West said.
The remains in some cases have gone to several prior labs without profiles being developed. New DNA technology and testing led Bode Tech to the DNA profiles. In conjunction with the grant, the profiles will now go to the University of North Texas for review and uploading into the National DNA database.
Detectives hope that once the profiles are uploaded, they will be matched up to missing person cases that have had DNA profiles submitted to DNA database.
West said family members of missing persons often provide DNA samples to be used in “building” a DNA profile that would represent a missing family member.
Other times, a toothbrush, comb or other personal item left behind by the victim can be used to form a DNA profile for a victim.
The cases involved are:
Case number: 69-014372 “Tolt Hill 1969 Jane Doe” murder victim.
The victim was found June 5, 1969, one mile west of the Tolt River Bridge in eastern King County, near Carnation, on a dirt road that is now 290th Avenue Northeast.
The medical examiner’s office described the woman as Caucasian, 23 to 25 years old, 5 feet 1 inch to 5 feet 2 inches tall, 105-115 pounds, with dark hair. She died from a few weeks to as long as six months before she was found.
Case number: 83-198246
Case moniker: “North Bend male”
Location: one mile south of 42003 S.E. 166 St.
Date of recovery: Oct. 12, 1983
Facts: Male skeletal remains. Victim died from a gunshot wound to the head.
Case number: 88-260904 “Cascade Tunnel Man”
This man died in an apparent accident in King County on Nov. 2, 1988, after falling from a train in the tunnel through Stevens Pass. He was possibly living in the Wenatchee area in fall 1988.
Case number: 91-280335
Case moniker: “Snoqualmie River skull”
Date of recovery: Sept. 5, 1991
Facts: Partial female skull and vertebra remains. Estimated age at time of recovery, 29.
Case number: 06-353095
Case moniker: “Tolt Hill female 2006”
Location: 2110 290 Ave. N.E., Carnation (Tolt Hill Road)
Date of recovery: Nov. 25, 2006
Facts: Top portion of skull found in horse pasture. The remains are very old, and may be a related victim to the “Tolt Hill 1969 Jane Doe” homicide, whose unidentified body was recovered three blocks away in 1969.
Case number: 84-054800 (ME 84-0346): Green River killer Homicides: “Bones 10”
Found March 21, 1984, at a Little League field in Burien. Gary Ridgway has pleaded guilty to this murder. The victim’s remains have never been identified.
Case number: 85-260579 (ME 85-1462): Green River killer Homicides: “Bones 16”
Found Dec. 30, 1985, near Mountain View Cemetery in Auburn. Gary Ridgway has pleaded guilty to this murder. The victim’s remains have never been identified.
Case number: 03-263862 (ME 03-1139): Green River killer Homicides: “Bones 20”
Found Aug. 21, 2003, at 24000 block of Kent-Des Moines Road in Kent.
Gary Ridgway led detectives to these remains, and has pleaded guilty to this murder. The victim’s remains have never been identified.
Filed Under Local News