In June 2021, skeletal remains were discovered along County Road 225 in Wharton County, a rural area southwest of Houston, Texas. The Wharton County Sheriff’s Office, along with other law enforcement agencies, responded to the scene and launched an investigation. The remains were determined to belong to a teenage girl, estimated to be between 14 and 17 years old and approximately 4’8” to 5’2” in height. At the time of discovery, she was wearing a “Lilo and Stitch” t-shirt and was found with a watch and several rings. To aid in identifying her, investigators commissioned a forensic artist to create a composite sketch of her likeness, which was widely distributed to the public.
Despite an exhaustive investigation, the girl could not be identified and became known as Wharton County Jane Doe (2021). Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP82601.
In 2023, working with the Texas Rangers, the Wharton County Sheriff’s Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas to determine if advanced DNA testing could help identify the young girl. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the provided evidence and then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the Jane Doe. Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team began working to on the case, providing new investigative leads to investigators…