A woman, who was found dead in an abandoned house 18 years ago, has been identified and linked to a serial killer.
‘Jane Doe’ has now been revealed as a woman named Darylnn Washington.
She was believed to be between 20-30 years old when she was discovered in June 2006.
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Besides being around five feet tall, she had no other distinguishing features to be identified.
Officials figured out that she had died only days prior to the discovery of her body in Detroit, Michigan.
Her cause of death was ruled as a homicide according to a press release from the Detroit Police Department and Othram Inc, a Texas-based forensic genetic genealogy firm specialising in advanced DNA testing.
Authorities have made various attempts to verify her identity over the past 18 years.
They entered her information into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System.
A forensic composite of what she may have looked like was also publicly shared.
In April 2022, the Detroit Police Department teamed up with Othram to conduct advanced DNA testing.
Their work led to her identification and they found that she was born on 15 June 1959, and were able to notify her family.
Othram scientists successfully were able to develop a DNA extract from the forensic evidence involved in the case.
Using Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing, they built a comprehensive DNA profile for the unknown woman.
Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team then used this profile to conduct genealogy research.
This helped them to provide new investigative leads to the relevant authorities.
With the new leads, a follow-up investigation was launched which led to potential family members of Darylnn.
Investigators learned that her family believed their loved one had been murdered by a serial killer, and that her remains were never found.
Officials announced on 6 January that Darylnn was likely the victim of a serial killer named Shelly Brooks, as reported by Need To Know.
Shelly was a Detroit-based serial killer who, according to Othram, confessed to the murder.
He was charged with the murder of seven women who he had paid for sex in 2006.
Now aged 55, Shelly was sentenced to life in a state prison after being convicted of two murders.
He is serving his time at Kinross Correctional Facility, in Michigan.
The identification of Darylnn Washington represents the ninth case in Michigan where officials have publicly announced the identification of an individual using technology developed by Othram.
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