Charles County investigators seeking new tips in 25-year-old 'Jane Doe' cold case

CHARLES COUNTY, Md. - Detectives in Charles County are once again reaching out to the public in hopes of gathering new information in a 25-year-old cold case. 

On June 18, 1998, the nude body of a woman was found by a passerby in an overgrown grassy area near Irving Road and Route 301 in Bel Alton, Maryland. Investigators determined that the woman's death was the result of a homicide but decades later, her identity remains a mystery. 

Since her discovery, detectives have been working tirelessly to give the Jane Doe a name, utilizing several resources and advanced technologies to try to discover who she is. 

In 2005, a facial reconstruction was completed. Officials say it appeared that the woman was a young Black woman, possibly between the ages of 25 and 35 at the time of her death. She was between 5’4" and 5’7" and weighed between 115 and 135 lbs. She had a light complexion and no visible scars, marks or tattoos.

They add that she may have been associated with businesses in the area where she was found. 

Then in 2014, the Forensic Science Section with the Charles County Sheriff's Office reached out to the Department of Homeland Security’s Biometric Support Center in an attempt to identify the victim through her fingerprints

An isotopic analysis conducted in the same year by Dr. Erin Kimmerle, an anthropologist at the University of South Florida, allowed anthropologists to geo-reference the mobility of the victim and shed light on her origin. The data shows that the victim was born in the United States and is from the northeast region, most likely Maryland.

In 2021, the FSS teamed up with the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division/Latent and Forensic Support Unit in another attempt to identify the victim through her fingerprints, this time through the FBI’s Next Generation Identification but unfortunately, they hit another dead end. 

"We have submitted Jane Doe's fingerprints through every database and sadly we have not made a match. But we never stopped trying," said Melissa Cole, a latent print specialist with the Forensic Science Section. 

Specialists with the Sheriff’s Office are continuing to regularly check available fingerprint databases to see if they can make a match. 

As DNA methods have advanced through the years, multiple attempts have been made to develop a suitable DNA profile for the victim but the Sheriff's Office says they need a sample from a relative to compare against the victim's profile in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).

"We currently have a mitochondrial DNA profile from the Jane Doe, which means that if Noelle Gehrman, Deputy Director of the Forensic Science Section. "What that means is that if someone from her maternal side comes forward, we can take a DNA sample from them and determine if they are a potential familial match to her. 

The FSS continues to evaluate new technologies to obtain additional DNA profiles suitable for comparison and identification. 

"Our goal is to work with our forensic partners in hopes of applying advanced testing methods to this case, and giving a name to ‘Jane Doe,’" Gehrman said.

During the investigation, a tipster reached out through the Charles County Crime Solvers Tip Line. Detectives are now asking the tipster, whose tip number is 473-M3730, to call back.

Anyone with information about this case should contact Detective Christopher Shankster at 301-932-3037. You can also contact Charles County Crime Solvers anonymously at 1-866-411-TIPS. A cash reward of up to $5,000 is being offered for information that leads to an arrest or indictment in this case.