Oregon State Police release new illustration of woman’s unidentified remains in hopes of solving 25-year-old cold case
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- With the assistance of a new "facial re-approximation," a 25-year-old Oregon State Police cold case is receiving new attention. Working closely with Oregon State Police Forensic Anthropologist Dr. Nici Vance, Parabon NanoLabs used the individual's genetic phenotype to create the latest illustration.
On Nov. 3, 1999, mushroom pickers reported the discovery of human skeletal remains in rural Clatsop County. The unidentified partial remains were located in a wooded area off Hwy. 26 near milepost 29. At the time, searchers located remains over a wide area, including a skull and lower jaw with all the teeth present.
A forensic examination of the skeletal remains indicated the deceased is female, 16-30 years of age, about 5 ft. 2 in. tall, and weighing between 108-117 pounds. Forensic anthropologists believe the individual had given birth some time prior.
Investigators also found white athletic socks, Levi's blue jeans size 33x34, a medium-sized black leather jacket, and a silver-colored "peace symbol" belt buckle in the same wooded area.
Investigators hope the new illustration will help renew interest in the case to determine the young woman's identity.
“This new illustration created by Parabon NanoLabs may be the key to unlocking her identity; we hope someone may recognize her now," Nance said.
"We also know her ancestry includes relatives from Western Europe, West Africa, and Central America, which are huge clues to her origins and family. Everyone deserves the dignity of a name; through our partnership with Parabon NanoLabs we will continue to search for her family and ultimately identify her.”
Parabon NanoLabs and the Oregon State Police have partnered together since 2019 to identify more than 30 previously unidentified individuals found in Oregon with Parabon’s groundbreaking technology and investigative genetic genealogy research.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Detective Derek Rose through OSP's Northern Command Center at 800-442-0776 or OSP (677) on a mobile phone. Please reference case number SP99433623.
