Crime, Conspiracy, Cults and Murder - Ep. 74 | How Internet Sleuths Solved a 35 Year Old Case

Episode Date: October 8, 2025

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Starting point is 00:00:00 For over three decades, a nameless girl haunted the fields of upstate New York. She was known only by the place where she was found, a small farming community that would never forget her. This is the story of how a chance discovery in 1979 launched one of America's most enduring mysteries, and how a new generation of investigators and internet sleuths refused to let her be forgotten. Crime, conspiracy, cults, serial killers, and murder, all things that I love to consume and I know you do too you sick twisted intellectually beautiful-minded Today we are talking about a crazy cold case that once again internet sleuths swooped in and did some incredible work so without further ado let's unbuckle our seatbelts go mock-factor on the highway
Starting point is 00:00:50 slam on the brakes and bustle this windshield into this cold case together on a brisk autumn morning in 1979 a quiet farming community in upstate New York awoke to a harrowing to a harrowing In a rain-soaked cornfield just off U.S. Route 20, outside the village of Caledonia, a local farmer checking the fields stumbled upon what he first thought was perhaps a trespassing hunter in a red jacket. But as he drew closer, his heart sank, because it was the lifeless body of a girl, faced down amid the cornstalks. And she had no identification on her, and it was immediately clear she had met a violent end. And the farmer phoned the Livingston County Sheriff's Office, setting in motion a mystery that would haunt the region for decades.
Starting point is 00:01:50 So when police arrived at the scene on what would later be recorded as November 10th, 1979, they noted that the girl was young, but they didn't know what her age was exactly at this point, and they knew that she had been shot. And this girl died by two gunshot wounds. One was a shot to her right eye and another to her upper back. And the positioning of the wounds and a large blood spot by the roadside suggested a grim sequence. And that sequence would be that she was most likely first shot by the road, then dragged roughly 20 feet into the cornfield and shot again in the back. And the girl's pockets were turned inside out as if someone had rifled through them to remove
Starting point is 00:02:34 any form of identification. And in the dirt beneath her body, investigators recovered a single 38 caliber bullet slug, evidence of the murder weapon that had been used to end her life. So sheriff's deputies secured the crime scene, combing through the muddy field and adjacent roadside for any physical evidence. And rain had fallen very heavily during the night, and officers quickly realized that crucial clues
Starting point is 00:02:58 might have been literally washed away by the storm. And the downpour had likely obliterated any sort of footprints or tire tracks and any trace of DNA that the killer might have left on the victim's body or clothing. Despite the challenging conditions though, investigators did recover some evidence and noted several key details. They found no purse, wallet, or documents on the girl. Nothing to indicate who she was. And the fact that her pant
Starting point is 00:03:24 pockets were pulled inside out suggested the killer had perhaps taken her money and ID with them. And this was a strong indication of an attempted cover-up of her identity. Because other than that, the girl was fully clothed and showed no signs of SA or obvious struggle. Aside from the gunshot wounds, obviously. So it was robbery or personal motive that might have been the driving factor in murder. And as mentioned, a 38 caliber slug was recovered beneath the body. And ballistic experts would later determine
Starting point is 00:03:57 it likely came from a handgun of that caliber. And the medical examiner confirmed the cause of death was massive hemorrhaging from the two gunshot wounds. And the shot over her eye appeared to have been fired at very close range. Tellingly, the victim had not even flinched or turned away, indicating she might have been caught completely by surprise when the trigger was pulled. And the second shot into her back seemed to have been fired after she was already down. So investigators scoured the area for anything the killer might have left behind.
Starting point is 00:04:30 Beyond the bullet, there was two peculiar items found with the body that offered faint hints about the victim's recent travels. Because attached to the victim's belt loops were two metal keys. chains. One was heart-shaped with a keyhole and inscribed with the phrase, he who holds the key can open my heart. And the other was the matching key meant to fit that heart, which is so sad. These cheap trinket key chains were later traced to vending machines along the New York State Thruway, a major highway cutting across New York. And this suggested that the victim, and likely the killer, had traveled along the Thruway recently. picking up the souvenir at a rest stop vending machine.
Starting point is 00:05:14 And it was a small clue, but it was interesting nonetheless. Because perhaps the pair had been on the road passing through New York when this town became the end of the line for the young woman. And the other item that was found on the victim was a necklace. She wore a delicate silver necklace with three small turquoise stones. And the necklace had a handmade, southwestern look, resembling Native American style jewelry. And this style isn't common in rural New York, leading investigators to wonder if the necklace and the girl herself came from somewhere in the American Southwest.
Starting point is 00:05:50 Like it's extremely popular here in Texas to wear that type of jewelry. So coupled with the throughway keychains, the necklace hinted at long distance travel before death. So perhaps a road trip that started in a far warmer place than Western New York. And as forensic teams collected what evidence they could, detectives canvass the law. local area for Leeds. And also, given the contents of the victim's stomach, the coroner determined she had eaten a meal not long before she was killed. And potatoes, sweet corn, and ham were found undigested. So this pointed to a classic diner-style dinner. And remarkably, a waitress from a small diner in the nearby town of Lima, or Lima, sorry if I'm saying that wrong, believed she had served
Starting point is 00:06:33 this girl the night of November 9th, 1979, because the young woman had been in the diner at around 11.30 p.m. with an older male companion, who paid for their meals. The waitress noted nothing alarming at the time. The pair seemed like any other customer and companion grabbing a late meal. But this was a crucial lead, because the victim had been seen alive just hours before her death in the company of a man who might well be her killer. And from the waitress's account, police obtained a description of this unknown man. And he was described as a white male around 5-8 to 5-9 with black wire-rimmed glasses and curly hair. And he drove a tan station wagon that night.
Starting point is 00:07:16 So to investigators, this man immediately became a person of interest. And perhaps the last person seen with the victim while she was alive. So if they could find and identify him, they might solve this case. So police circulated a composite sketch of this curly-haired man and an alert for any tan station wagons matching the description. So whoever this mystery man was, he had willingly bought the girl dinner. Then, less than an hour later, she was executed and left in a field. And as the waitress, Marge Bradford later wondered in horror,
Starting point is 00:07:49 Why would you buy somebody dinner and then kill them 45 minutes later and throw them in a cornfield? So it was a very chilling question that investigators were determined to answer. So as the initial investigation unfolded, the victim herself remained a Jane Doe. And a full autopsy was conducted, building a detailed profile of the young woman in hopes of eventually matching her to a missing persons report. And they estimated the girl's age between 13 and 19 years old, she was petite, about 5 feet 3 inches tall, and weighed around 120 pounds. And she had an athletic, tanned build not typical for someone from the chilly northeast in November. And the exam noted pronounced tan lines in the pattern of a halter. top or bikini on her upper body. And this meant she had likely been in a sunny climate not long
Starting point is 00:08:41 before her death. And tanning beds were virtually unheard of in the 1970s, and upstate New York certainly hadn't been warm enough for sunbathing in late October. So the tan lines were an early red flag that the victim was not a local girl. And the girl's hair was a light brown color, wavy, and shoulder length. And the front locks had been highlighted about four months prior to her death. and the darker roots were starting to grow out. And her eyes were a soft brown. And the medical examiner also noted some acne on her face and chest and freckles dusting the back of her shoulders. So in terms of distinguishing marks or old injuries, Jane Doe had no tattoos, no scars,
Starting point is 00:09:21 and no healed broken bones that might have been recorded in hospital records. And it appeared she hadn't received much medical or dental care in her entire life. A fact that could hint into her background. because her teeth specifically were in poor shape. And she had multiple untreated cavities, including one tooth so decayed that only the roots remained. And one source mentioned there was signs of a bit of dental work that was done, which appeared substandard,
Starting point is 00:09:49 noting it might have been performed outside the U.S. given its unusual technique. And the girl had no fillings or orthodontic work, typical of American teens, reinforcing the idea that she might have come from a less privileged background or had been a transient and not under regular medical care. And none of her wisdom teeth had come through yet, consistent with a young age likely under 18.
Starting point is 00:10:13 And the blood type was determined to be A negative, though without a living person to match, that fact was mostly filed away for future reference. And crucially, the clothing on the victim provided further clues. Because at the time of discovery, she was fully dressed in everyday attire that would not have been out of place for a 1970s teenager. Perhaps that some items were ill-fitted or quote-unquote masculine.
Starting point is 00:10:38 She wore tan corduroy pants, woman size seven, and multicolored plaid button-up shirt with a collar. And over the shirt was the most eye-catching item, and that was a red windbreaker jacket with black stripes down the arms, men's style, labeled auto sports products ink on the inside. So it looked like a racing, or automotive jacket, and investigators tried to trace it, but they soon learned it had been a
Starting point is 00:11:04 promotional item produced in limited quantity and not traceable to any particular owner. And on her feet were brown shoes with ripple soles. She also was wearing blue knee-high socks, a white bra, and blue underwear. And everything she wore seemed to have been purchased off the rack. So it was nothing bespoke or extremely distinctive, save the red jacket and the personalized keychain charms. But the The overall impression was that of a normal American teen or young woman of the late 70s, perhaps one who was traveling or had run away, wearing practical clothes for comfort. And one by one, each piece of physical evidence was catalogued, and photographs of the girl's face were taken.
Starting point is 00:11:46 And because her facial features were still mostly intact, despite her near eye wound, police even released a retouched post-barnum photo and a sketch to the media in hopes someone would recognize her. But in those first days, no immediate matches came back. And the local authorities checked all missing persons reports in New York State and the surrounding areas for any teenage girl fitting her description, but none matched Jane Doe.
Starting point is 00:12:12 And they also sent her fingerprints to the FBI's national database, but unfortunately the prints turned up nothing. And she had never been fingerprinted by law enforcement or any government agency that reported to the FBI. So she had no record. So the initial phase of the investigation presented a giant puzzle.
Starting point is 00:12:30 Here was a young woman with Tanline suggesting a life in sunny climates found dead far from home, wearing a mishmash of clothes and carrying trinkets from roadside stops. And she shared a humble last meal with a stranger who might also have been her executioner. And there were no immediate answers, only questions echoing in the minds of investigators and townspeople alike. Who was Jane Doe? And how did she come to be in Kellynne? And who murdered her so mercilessly and why?
Starting point is 00:13:03 So from the very start, the Caledonia Jane Doe case weighed heavily on the hearts of investigators involved. And one man in particular would become the steadfast guardian of Jane Doe's memory. John York, a Livingston County deputy sheriff, who was one of the first officers on the scene that November morning. John York was deeply moved by the sight of the murdered girl and the tragedy of her anonymity. And as the years went on, York's career advanced. and he was elected Livingston County Sheriff in the 1980s, and he held that office until 2013.
Starting point is 00:13:35 And throughout those years, he refused to let that Jane Doe case fade away. And Sheriff York made sure that Callie Doe remained in active investigation. She was called Callie Doe because of where she was found, reminding his department and the public that this girl was never forgotten. And York's dedication was both professional and deeply personal, and he often visited that unidentified girl's grave, talking to her in his thoughts and asking her for forgiveness that they haven't found the name of her killer, saying, quote, what did we forget? What did we overlook? Here's a child shot, dumped
Starting point is 00:14:10 roadside, shot again, stripped of identification, somebody has to give that child justice. Unquote, he would remark, emphasizing the sense of obligation he felt. And in his words, quote, you don't think that kid deserves some justice, unquote. So the case was a promise he meant to keep. And in the earliest years after 1979, York and the investigative team pulled out all the stops to identify the girl and hunt down the murderer. But with no name to start from, the first priority was giving Callie Doe back her identity, since one of the biggest parts of solving this case is knowing the victim, as Sheriff Thomas Daughtry would say. And in 1979 and the early 1980s, this meant painstakingly checking missing persons reports by hand, reaching out to departments
Starting point is 00:14:57 near and far and appealing in the media for anyone who knew the girl who vanished to come forward. And leads poured in by the dozens and then hundreds. And according to Sheriff York, over 10,000 tips and leads would ultimately be examined in the course of the investigation, which is a staggering figure that illustrates just how many possibilities the team had to consider and how determined they were to chase down any hint of a clue. And early on, investigators prepared flyers detailing the girl's description and clothing and mailed them to police departments all across the United States, Canada, and even overseas. So this was a massive pre-internet outreach effort to see if any agency had a similar cold case or a missing girl who might match. And John York's law enforcement
Starting point is 00:15:43 students even assisted in stuffing envelopes and addressing them, learning firsthand how a real case was pursued with dogged determination. And the team compared notes with missing persons databases, but the late 1970s and 80s lacked a digital centralized national system, so it was like searching for a needle in a haystack by candlelight. Sadly, none of the countless inquiries produced a name for Cali Doe. And realizing the killer might not be a local either, investigators scored truck stops, rest areas, and highway records. Because Caledonia sits not far from the interstate highway and the throughway,
Starting point is 00:16:19 so if the victim and her killer were traveling, maybe a trucker or gas station attendant had seen something. So the canvas diners and gas stations asking if anyone were called the curly-haired girl or the man with glasses. And some promising information did emerge. A few long-haul truck drivers reported possibly seeing a teen girl hitchhiking along the highway in that area around the time of the murder. And this fueled a theory that Jane Doe had been hitchhiking her way through New York, which fit the narrative of a runaway or traveler.
Starting point is 00:16:50 However, without confirmation of who she was, these sightings remained frustratingly vague leads. And they suggested a scenario, but not a name. So by the end of 1980, the case had gone cold in terms of identifying the victim. Because despite the extensive efforts, no family had come forward to claim her and no missing person's reports in any database matched her unique combination of characteristics. So it was just heartbreaking. And it seemed as if no one was looking for this girl, at least not in the right places.
Starting point is 00:17:23 So with great reluctance, Livingston County authorities arranged for Callie Doe's burial about a year after her death. So in 1980, she was laid to rest in Greenmount Cemetery under a headstone that read, Lest we forget, unidentified girl, November, 1979, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest. The beautiful Shakespearean sentiment on the stone
Starting point is 00:17:46 was a promise that although her name was unknown, she would not be forgotten by this community. And a handful of locals and law enforcement officers attended her funeral, and they were just strangers really moved by the plight of this lost girl. And John York, for one, took it to heart that Caledonia had adopted this nameless teenager in death, and that as long as he was around, she would have someone advocating for her. So throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the sheriff's office continued to grind away at this case, checking and every conceivable lead. Because if a teenage girl went missing anywhere in the country
Starting point is 00:18:22 that even remotely fit to the timeframe and description, the team compared dental records, descriptions, just anything available to see if it could be matched to Kelly Doe. And thousands of law enforcement agencies were contacted over the years. And the case file bulged with correspondence and reports from all corners of the US. And even abroad, as Interpol and Canadian police
Starting point is 00:18:43 were alerted just in case the victim was from outside the country. But still, every promising lead seemed to hit a dead end. And not a single missing person's report lined up with Caledonius Jane Doe. It was as if she had never officially been reported missing at all, which is a deeply unsettling thought that implied she might have come from a troubled home or transient life where no one realized or cared that she was gone. But investigators didn't give up.
Starting point is 00:19:13 And the case even received some national media attention, A segment of the Caledonia Jane Doe aired on the popular TV program America's Most Wanted. And though America's Most Wanted usually focused on fugitives, they sometimes featured Jane or John Doe cases to drum up tips. And the exposure would lead to a flurry of calls. And armchair detectives and psychics alike, but none provided the key to unlock Jane Doe's identity. So years went by. And by the early 2000s, the Caledonia Jane Doe case was the most extensive and expensive. case in Livingston County's history, having occupied countless man hours and resources.
Starting point is 00:19:53 And Sheriff John York, true to his word, never closed the case. And his team carefully preserved all the evidence from the red jacket and clothing to the bullet slug and the necklace. And these items remained in storage awaiting any advancement that could help solve the mystery. And one persistent heartache was the idea that somewhere surely this girl had family or friends who missed her? How could it be that in all these years, no relative had come forward? So this led to much speculation. Perhaps she had been a runaway for a long time and her family assumed she was living independently. Perhaps she had fallen through the cracks of a foster system or had no close kin to miss her. It was even possible that she might have not even been from the U.S. originally and she could be a
Starting point is 00:20:42 foreign teen brought to the states. So investigators, considered every single scenario, and they kept Kelly Doe's dental records and later DNA profile on file ready to compare against any new missing persons entries that might appear in the evolving national database. So as the murder investigation dragged on without a suspect, detectives also weighed the possibility that the killer might have been an interstate serial offender. Because the late 1970s and early 1980s saw numerous serial killers operating across the country, as we know, and many targeting young women and runaways. And it was only natural to question if Callie Doe had crossed paths with one of these predators. And in 1984, a startling development occurred.
Starting point is 00:21:27 And that was Henry Lee Lucas, a drifter turned notorious serial killer, or self-reclaimed serial killer, and he confessed to murdering an unidentified girl in upstate New York. A story that seemingly matched the Caledonia case. And Lucas at the time was making headlines for confessing to hundreds of murders nationwide. He had been arrested in Texas and in custody was unloading tale after tale of homicidal exploits, some credible and many others fantastical. Let me know if you want me to go into Henry Lee Lucas on a different deep dive because my God is he. special. And by special, I mean, just a horrifying human being. So when Lucas mentioned killing a girl
Starting point is 00:22:12 in a cornfield in New York, investigators had to check it out. And he even roped in his companion, Otis Toole, which again, I will deep dive on him as well as Henry Lee Logis, claiming they were together when they picked up a girl hitchhiking near Philadelphia and later shot her in a New York cornfield. So on the surface, it sounded like it could fit. Tool and Lucas were known. to have traveled together and had been spotted in upstate New York in 1979. So could these two infamous killers have been responsible for Caledonia's Jane Doe? But upon investigation, authorities found Lucas's confession to be dubious at best. Because Lucas was a known attention-seeking piece of shit who often fabricated stories to gain
Starting point is 00:22:54 favor or notoriety. And in this case, he failed to provide specific details that weren't already public knowledge. And law enforcement could not place Lucas or tool, definitively in the Caledonia area at the right time, nor find any evidence beyond Lucas's own words to tie them to the crime. And many of Lucas's confessions were just outright lies. And he was actually dubbed the confession killer. After it came to light, he had been falsely claiming credit for murders he could not have committed. So the Texas Rangers eventually had to rescind many of the 200 plus cases that they thought Lucas saw. Upon realizing he had been fed case details and was fabricating stories altogether.
Starting point is 00:23:36 And Caledonia's Jane Doe was one of those false confessions. And Henry Lee Lucas did not kill her, and investigators officially ruled his claims not credible by the mid-1980s. So the brief hope that the case was solved just evaporated, leaving frustration in its wake. But another serial predator that came under scrutiny was Christopher Wilder, a serial killer in 1984 who went on a multi-state spree abducting and murdering young women across the U.S. Wilder had ties to both Florida and New York and was known for his interest in
Starting point is 00:24:11 car racing. And Sheriff York at one point speculated about Wilder because the victim's racing style jacket was a type Wilder might own or distribute. And Wilder was actually hiding out in upstate New York in mid-1979, evading law enforcement on other charges. And it's important to note that Wilder was indeed in the region around the time of the murder, and the scenario, a pretty teen girl potentially lured by a charming older man, was not unlike Wilder's known modus operandi in later years. However, Wilder could not be conclusively linked to the Caledonia case. And tragically, or conveniently, Wilder was killed in a shootout with police in 1984, which meant investigators never got the chance to directly question him about the case.
Starting point is 00:25:01 So the wilder angle remained speculative. Intriguing, but unproven and just not enough evidence. So in all, allegedly over 60 known serial killers and murderers were considered and investigated in connection with the case. And this includes the likes of Lucas and Toole and numerous other violent offenders who happened to be active around 1979. And each time a serial killer was caught, the team behind Callie Doe would check their timelines, habits, and known victims against the details of the cornfield murder. So every possibility was run down. And by the early 2000s, after a quarter century,
Starting point is 00:25:37 the case remained unsolved and the victim unnamed, but it was not shelved. And investigators, both old and new, continued to feel a sense of duty about Callie Doe. And in 2005, a new opportunity arose, because advances in forensic science were emerging that had the potential to do what old-fashioned detective work could not. So the team prepared to leverage cutting-edge techniques
Starting point is 00:26:00 to finally crack the identity of their Jane Doe, even as the search for her killer remained a daunting challenge. So by the mid-2000s, technology had caught up in ways that just breathed new life into many cold cases, including that of Caledonia's Jane Doe. Investigators made a pivotal decision, and that was to exhume the remains of Jane Doe from her grave for advanced forensic testing.
Starting point is 00:26:25 So with a court order in hand, the young girl's body was carefully disinterred from Greenmount Semestered. And it had been 26 years since her burial, but modern science offered capabilities that had been science fiction in 1979. And the goal was twofold. Extract a viable DNA profile from her remains and apply new forensic analysis techniques like isotope and pollen analysis to glean clues about her life and origins. And the exhumation was successful. And using bone and tooth samples, forensic experts managed to extract DNA from the victim's remains.
Starting point is 00:27:00 remains. And this was a major breakthrough. Because at last, they had a genetic fingerprint of the girl. And while this didn't instantly reveal her identity by any means, it laid the groundwork for a potential future match. And it also meant that if a relative of hers ever entered their DNA, the system could connect the dots. So having her DNA on file was lighting a beacon in the darkness, basically. And now there was hope that one day it might signal a match. home to Disney Plus. Let's go. Get ready for a new case.
Starting point is 00:27:34 We're going to crack this case and prove for our decoranist partners of all time. New friends. You are Gary Destnake. And your last name? The Snake. Dream team. Hit new habitats. Zootopia has a secret reptile population.
Starting point is 00:27:48 You can watch the record-breaking phenomenon at home. You're clearly. We're going to hit. Zootopia 2. Now available on Disney Plus rated PG. And another advanced technique applied, was forensic paleonology. And this is the analysis of pollen and spores
Starting point is 00:28:05 trapped in the victim's clothing. And in 2006, the girls' garments, which had been preserved in evidence all those years, good on the cops, were sent to a laboratory at Texas A&M University for pollen testing. And a palinology expert examined the microscopic pollen grains embedded in the fabric. And the results were fascinating.
Starting point is 00:28:25 Because among the pollen types identified were oak, spruce, and birch, as well as Casarina, which is Australian pine. And oak trees are widespread, but spruce and birch pollen was notable because those particular species are common in the mountainous regions of California, not in western New York.
Starting point is 00:28:45 And none of the spruce or birch pollen found on her was present in a control sample from the cornfield itself. Meaning she picked it up elsewhere. And the biggest clue of all was the Australian pine pollen because this invasive tree, tree grows in only a few places in the U.S., specifically South Florida, parts of South Texas, and three areas of California, North Bay, San Luis, Obispo, and San Diego. Sorry if I said I need that wrong. An Australian pine cannot survive the winters in New York at all. So there is no doubt
Starting point is 00:29:19 the victim had been in one of those warmer regions not long before she died. So the pollen evidence led researchers to construct a possible travel narrative. And they theorized that Jane Doe may have spent a considerable amount of time in Southern California or Florida, given the Australian pine pollen. And the presence of spruce and birch that match California mountain species suggested she might have traveled through the Sierra Nevada region at some point, perhaps heading east. So the investigators imagined a journey, maybe starting near the San Diego area, then moving through high altitude areas, picking up spruce and birch, and eventually ending up in New York. Alternatively, Florida was still on the table, given Australian pine flourishes there and her notable sun tan lines.
Starting point is 00:30:05 And in 2012, a reexamination of the pollen data reconfirmed that only California, Arizona, or Florida made sense as points of origin. In fact, science was echoing what the tan lines had first whispered, and that was that this girl came from far away. And alongside pollen, isotopic analysis was performed on her teeth and bones. And this technique analyzes chemical signatures like ratios of oxygen isotopes, embedded in one's body that vary according to regional water supplies and diet, which is extremely interesting. And the early isotope tests on her tooth enamel indicated she likely spent her early childhood in the southern or southwestern United States. And later bone isotope analysis further supported that her life history included significant time in a warm climate region. So these subtle chemical
Starting point is 00:30:55 clues aligned neatly with the pollen findings, pointing investigators to look west or south of New York when considering her identity. But the 2005 to 2006 forensic push didn't stop there. And the sheriff's office also engaged a forensic artist to help with a new facial reconstruction of Jane Doe. And in 2010, an artist named Carl Koppelman volunteered his skills to draw a lifelike reconstruction of the girl's face. And Koppelman used the morgue photos and autopsy measurements to create a color portrait that captured how Jane Doe might have looked in life, a pretty teen with feathered light brown hair, soft features, and a slight smile. And he even drew her wearing a red jacket and turquoise necklace as she had been found, to jog recognition. So this reconstruction was uploaded to the online databases,
Starting point is 00:31:47 including NOMUS, which by 2010 had become a crucial tool for matching missing and unidentified cases. U.S. allowed the public and law enforcement to access case profiles. So for the first time, Kelly Doe's information, physical stats, dental charts, DNA availability, and Callie's new portrait were all there on the internet, where anyone could stumble upon it and potentially make a connection. So these forensic advancements were a huge leaps forward. And by 2010, investigators knew much more about Jane Doe. She was almost certainly from a sunny, southern, or southwestern state, likely traveled cross-country and had DNA and facial images available in national systems. But still, for all this progress, she frustratingly remained nameless.
Starting point is 00:32:37 She was a girl with a story written in her bones and clothes, but her name was still missing from the narrative. And what the Sheriff's Department could not have predicted was that the final pieces of the puzzle would come not just from science, but from the emergence of a new kind of detective. while the forensic experts were hard at work in the labs, a parallel effort was growing on message boards and websites where amateur crime buffs took up the case of identifying Jane Doe. So the stage was set for the worlds of law enforcement and crowdsourced sleuthing to collide. And by the early 2000s, as the Caledonia Jane Doe investigation embraced new forensic techniques,
Starting point is 00:33:18 another powerful tool was coming into play, and that was the internet. And true crime forums and online communities were forming and bringing together enthusiasts and amateur detectives from around the world. And these web sleuths found each other on sites like websloose.com, Doe Network, and later on Reddit, pooling information on cold cases in unidentified remains. And the mystery of Callie Doe naturally drew the attention of the growing community. And her case became one of the most talked about unsolved Jane Doe cases online, captivating a generation of armchair detectives determined to help where official investigations had stalled. So on web sleuth.com, a massive thread dedicated to Caledonia Jane Doe case was started as early as the early 2000s. And over the years, it grew to over 100 pages of discussion,
Starting point is 00:34:08 theories, and painstaking research. And users poured over every available detail, the clothing, the keychains, the dinner sightings, the forensic clues. And the forum members collaborated to generate hypotheses about Jane Doe's identity and background. And one of the most dedicated contributors was Carl Copelman. And Copelman discovered the Cali Doe case through WebSloos in the late 2000s and became fascinated. He was a professional accountant by day, but he volunteered countless hours to help identify missing persons and Doe's. And the WebSloose community also kept the case alive in the public eye. And it was a remarkable crowdsourcing effort years before crowdsourcing became a buzzword.
Starting point is 00:34:49 And what made the WebSloose era special was not only the theorizing, but the bridge it formed between the public and law enforcement. Because by the 2010s, some investigators were watching these forums, and in certain cases, even directly engaging or seeking help from citizen sleuths. And the Doe network worked in parallel, logging the Caledonia Jane Doe as case file 1UFNY. So the synergy of official forensic data and crowd-driven research created an environment ripe for a breakthrough. So the case that had languished for so long was about to be cracked open by the
Starting point is 00:35:26 unlikeliest of alliances. A persistent high school friend with an aching question, a volunteer web sleuth with an eye for faces, and detectives willing to listen. So the online community's collaborative efforts produced several compelling theories about Jane Doe's identity and life history, many of which we have briefly discussed. First, that she was a Florida runaway from a troubled home. Many noted the victim's deep tan lines and bikini lines and posited that she came from a warm, sunny state like Florida. Next, that she was from California or a West Coast traveler, given the pollen evidence of Australian pine and mountain spruces, and some sleuths believed she had spent time on the West Coast.
Starting point is 00:36:07 Also, that she was a victim of opportunity versus a known assailant. His debate raged whether her killer was a stranger, like a trucker or a serial killer picking up a random hitchhiker or someone she knew. like a travel companion or a boyfriend. But the fact that she ate dinner with the man and seemed at ease suggested to some that she might have trusted him at least initially. But others argued that hitchhikers often accept meals from kind strangers, so it could still have been a chance encounter turned deadly. And the lack of obvious defensive wounds or SA made the motive a mystery. And the websluse floated ideas from a botched robbery to the man making in advance she rejected
Starting point is 00:36:48 leading to rage. And then there's the failed identification due to reporting lapses. Because some of the savvier web sleuth members began to suspect that the reason Jane Doe hadn't been identified was that no official missing person's report was active for her. And this was possible, as families don't report a runaway because they assume she left intentionally, or reports get lost in the shuffle. And this theory would prove incredibly predictive. Essentially, they were searching for someone who should have been reported missing, but wasn't. So this was an ambitious and difficult task finding a void rather than a record.
Starting point is 00:37:23 But through all of this, the web sleuths community kept the case alive. And in some ways prepared the ground for the final breakthrough, because they had amassed a wealth of knowledge and a list of possible names. And one name in particular was about to emerge from obscurity, brought up by those who knew and cared for the girl back when she was alive. And the collaborative spirit of the internet slews was about to intersect, intersect with a very real missing person search initiated by someone from the victim's past.
Starting point is 00:37:54 Proving that the boundary between amateur and professional detective work can sometimes blur to great effect. So the long-awaited breakthrough in the case began with someone who remembered and missed the girl who had vanished so many years ago. And in the early 2010s, a woman named Laurel Nowwell started wondering
Starting point is 00:38:12 about her old high school friend in Hernando County, Florida. And the friend's name was, Tammy Joe Alexander. And Laurel and Tammy had been close in their early teens, but Tammy had dropped out of sight by the end of the 70s. And Laurel searched for Tammy on Facebook and other sites, but found nothing.
Starting point is 00:38:30 So concern grew. Could her bubbly, adventurous friend from youth really have just disappeared off the face of the earth? So Laurel reached out and eventually connected with Pamela Dyson, Tammy Joe's half-sister, who still lived in Florida. And Laurel discovered something shocking. No one in Tammy's family had heard from her since the late 1970s. And Pamela had long assumed Tammy had simply run away to start a new life since Tammy had a history of short disappearances.
Starting point is 00:38:59 Maybe she had gotten married or maybe she had kids somewhere. And their mother, Barbara, had apparently told police Tammy was missing back around 1979. But because Tammy was known to hitchhike and vanish, local police didn't take it seriously. And Pamela and Laurel's inquiries in 2014 uncovered a bureaucratic failure, because the Hernando County Sheriff's Office had no record of any missing person report for Tammy Joe. It seemed any initial report had been lost or never properly logged. In essence, Tammy was never officially listed as a missing person anywhere. So realizing this egregious oversight in August 2014, the Hernando County Sheriff's Office
Starting point is 00:39:42 filed a fresh missing persons report for Tammy Joe Alexander. And this marked the first time her name entered the national database as a missing teen. And now, at last, Tammy was on the radar of systems like NAMUS and NIC, albeit many years too late. But fate and internet sleuths soon intertwined. And when Tammy's new missing persons profile, complete with an old high school yearbook photo, was added to NOMUS in late 2014, it caught the eye of Carl Koppel
Starting point is 00:40:12 who, again, had been deeply involved in the Caledonia Jane Doe case and had sketched Callie Doe's portrait years prior. And at the time, he was not only a web sleuth moderator, but also actively monitoring Nam US for new cases. God bless this man. And in September 2014, Carl saw Tammy's listing, a teen missing from Florida since 1979 and froze in recognition. The high cheekbones, the curve of the eyebrows, the wavy light brown hair with a of highlights, it all looked strikingly like the Cali Doe he had drawn. And Carl later said, quote, The very moment I saw her photo, it clicked.
Starting point is 00:40:52 That was Caledonia, Jane Toe, unquote. All those hours studying Jane Doe's features for the reconstruction had paid off. And Carl Copeland didn't waste a second. And on September 20th, 2014, he emailed his contacts at the Livingston County Sheriff's Office, alerting them that the newly listed missing girl from Florida, Tammy Joe Alexander, was their long-identified Caled Caledonia victim. And he C-C'd NOMU.S. Regional Administrators and the Hernando County authorities in Florida, effectively connecting all the necessary parties. And in his message, Carl likely laid out the key resemblances and circumstantial fits.
Starting point is 00:41:32 Tammy's age 16 in 1979, matching Jane Doe's estimated age for disappearance time frame, Spring 1979, which fits her death in November of 1979, her Florida origin aligning with tan lines and pollen hints, and the high school photo that looked just like a younger version of Callie Doe. The law enforcement officials on both ends took this tip very seriously, and after 35 years of dead ends, it seemed almost unbelievable that a volunteer web sleuth might have solved it, but the logic was compelling. And Livingston County Sheriff's Thomas Daughtry's team contacted
Starting point is 00:42:09 Pamela Dyson, Tammy's half-sister, and arranged to collect a DNA sample for comparison. And by late 2014, that sample was sent to a lab to perform a mitochondrial DNA test, or MT DNA, which can confirm maternal line relatives. Meanwhile, investigators pieced together Tammy's path. And family confirmed she had run away from home sometime in 1979 and never returned. And an ex-boyfriend verified the last time he saw her was in the spring of 1979. And she essentially vanished after that. And all of it fit with the timeline of Callie Doe showing up dead in New York in November that year.
Starting point is 00:42:47 So as 2015 dawned, anticipation built. And in January of 2015, the results finally came in. And the mitochondrial DNA from Jane Doe matched Pamela Dyson's DNA. So the unidentified girl was indeed Tammy Joe Alexander. The long-lost teenager had her name restored. And authorities kept the news underwerexon. wraps for a few days to notify family and prepare. And on January 26, 2015, former sheriff, York, held a press conference and delivered the incredible news. Caldonia's Jane Doe had a name.
Starting point is 00:43:22 And after over 35 years, one of the nation's most enduring Jane Doe mysteries was solved. And the room filled with triumph and poignancy. And investigators, some on the case since day one, felt relief and emotion. And Sheriff Daughtry voiced what, everyone felt. Quote, To be able to put a name on her, I can't even tell you what it means. We've always said one of the biggest parts
Starting point is 00:43:46 of solving this case is knowing the victim, unquote. So at long last, they knew the victim, Tammy Joe Alexander, a 16-year-old girl from Florida. So with DNA confirmation in hand, the authorities could finally close the chapter on Jane Doe and open a new one centered on Tammy Joe Alexander. And for Tammy's family and friends, the revelation was bittersweet.
Starting point is 00:44:09 And Pamela Dyson and Laurel Nowwell, the sister and friend who had initiated the search, were grateful for answers but devastated by the reality of Tammy's fate. And Pamela had spent years holding onto a hopeful image that Tammy was out there just living a happy life. And the truth that Tammy had been dead the entire time killed brutally as a teenager was crushing. And Pamela would say, quote, I'm truly glad for the closure, but it hurts to know she died that way. It's terrible. Nobody should have to be shot and dragged out into the woods." So Livingston County officials swiftly moved to give Tammy the dignity in death she had been denied for so long. And the humble grave in Dansville that had borne the inscription Unidentified Girl was finally going to carry Tammy's name. And a local funeral home actually donated a new headstone
Starting point is 00:45:00 with her full name and dates, 1963 to 1979. And on June 10th, 2015, a ceremony was held where the the new Tammy Joe Alexander Headstone was unfailed. And about 100 people attended including family members, townsfolk, and law enforcement, symbolizing how Tammy had bridged communities thousands of miles apart. And the sheriff's deputies and townspeople who had cared for their Jane Doe, all those years were finally able to address her by name and formally pay their respects. And Carl Copelman even flew out from California to attend. And he felt a profound connection to Tammy and was honored to
Starting point is 00:45:38 her to stand by as her name was rightfully returned. And Tammy's family expressed a deep gratitude toward the Livingston County community for never forgetting her. And they thanked officers like John York and Thomas Daughtry and the citizens who kept flowers on her grave and kept her story alive. And Pamela Dyson became an advocate for missing persons, urging families of missing loved ones to enter their information into Nam US and other databases. And she emphasized that the database was critical in achieving her sister's identification. And her message was powerful. Had Laurel and Pamela not realized Tammy wasn't listed anywhere and taken action, she might still be a Jane Doe today. So their initiative combined with the internet and Carl's sharp eyes had finally broken the case. And the ripple effects of Tammy's
Starting point is 00:46:25 identification were felt far and wide. And the FBI and law enforcement hoped that the high profile success would encourage more collaboration with amateur sleuth communities. And St. John Fisher College resident scholar in media, Thomas Paredi noted that without the internet and social media, this case might never have been solved. Saying, quote, I really do think this played a critical role in putting the pieces together, because as you know, cold cases each day get more and more difficult to solve. It's kind of like there are two icebergs going in the opposite direction. What social media allowed this to do is bring the two icebergs back together, unquote. Just referencing how Tammy's missing persons listing and the Jane Doe,
Starting point is 00:47:06 case converged online. The case became a shining example of the positive power of social media and crowdsourced investigations in solving cold cases. However, while one mystery, Tammy's identity, was resolved, another part of the story was far from over. Because who killed Tammy Joe Alexander? And with her name known and her background coming to light, investigators redoubled their efforts on the homicide itself. And Sheriff Daughtry noted that identifying the victim is a huge part solving a murder, but now they had to find the killer. So the focus shifted from who is she to who was she and who did this to her.
Starting point is 00:47:45 So the investigation entered a new phase, buoyed by fresh leads that emerged once Tammy's past was uncovered. And the clock had been turned back to 1979, reconstructing Tammy's final months on Earth. And the hope was that clues from her life in Florida and her journey north could point to a suspect who had remained hidden all this time.
Starting point is 00:48:06 So with Tammy Joe Alexander's identity now known, a troubling story of her life began to emerge, one that in hindsight made it perhaps less surprising that she slipped through the cracks for so long. So Tammy's background was marked by instability, heartbreak, and yearning for escape, which tragically set the stage for her fateful journey. So Tammy was born on November 2nd, 1963 in Atlanta, Georgia,
Starting point is 00:48:33 and her early childhood in Georgia is less documented, But by the mid-1970s, she was living in Brooksville, Florida, a small town about 50 miles north of Tampa. And Tammy's family life was, by all accounts, tumultuous. Her mother, Barbara Jenkins, struggled with severe personal issues. She was addicted to prescription drugs and had intense emotional problems, described as volatile erupting into temper tantrums. And Tammy's biological father was not in the picture at all. And Barbara remarried, giving Tammy a stepfather in the home. And Tammy had an older half-sister, Pamela Dyson.
Starting point is 00:49:10 But Pamela had a different father and left to live with her paternal grandmother when Pamela was around 11. So this means by about 1972 or 1973, Pamela was out of the household, and young Tammy was left essentially as an only child in a very unhealthy home environment. And Pamela later said that their mother put Joan Crawford to shame in terms of anger and abuse, referencing the allegedly notoriously abusive Hollywood mother depicted in Mommy Dearest. So it just paints a picture of how Tammy growing up in a home where love was scarce and chaos was plenty. And given these conditions, it's not surprising that Tammy had a history of running away during her teenage years. She was just searching for freedom and adventure and likely just peace away from this turmoil. And when she was around 15, Tammy and her close friend Laurel Nowwell
Starting point is 00:50:05 started doing what many restless teens did in Florida, and that was hitchhiking rides with truckers and traveling to see the rest of the world. And in one incredible episode, Laurel and Tammy daringly thumbed their way all the way to California in 1978. And two 15-year-old girls on the road crossing the country, it's unfathomable, especially nowadays, but it happened. And when they reached Los Angeles, Laurel became scared and called her parents back in Florida,
Starting point is 00:50:35 and her shocked parents bought plane tickets for both girls to fly home, bringing that runaway adventure to an end. That incident shows both Tammy's courageous, impulsive spirit and the lack of strong parental anchors, because other people's parents had to reel them back in. And back in Florida, Tammy didn't remain put for long. And she worked as a waitress at a truck stop cafe with her mother during her mid-teens, and this truck stop connection is significant,
Starting point is 00:51:02 as it put Tammy in daily contact with trucks. drivers and travelers crisscrossing the country. And she likely heard stories of distant places and had ample opportunity to catch rides or plan escapes. And according to secondary sources citing the New York Daily News, Tammy Joe Alexander was described as being an experienced hitchhiker by age 15 and having caught rides with long haul truckers while working at a truck stop cafe near home. So by 1979, Tammy had both the itch to leave and the network, truckers and fellow runaways to facilitate it. And multiple accounts from family and friends described Tammy as a friendly, outgoing girl despite her home life. Quote, people were just drawn to her, unquote. Laurel recalled,
Starting point is 00:51:47 remembering Tammy's bright smile and bubbly personality. But behind the warmth was a desperation to get away from her mother's abuse. And Pamela Dyson, the half-sister, summarized it, quote, I believe Tammy left to escape a turbulent household, unquote. And indeed, Pamela felt, guilt later, wondering if she'd stayed in home longer, could she have protected Tammy or convinced her to stick out? But Pamela had been just a kid herself when she fled to her grandma's house. So by early 1979, Tammy was 15 going on 16 and seemingly reaching a breaking point. And at one stage that year, records show Tammy ended up at the Rainbow Youth Ranch, also referred to as a prison ministry in Young Harris, Georgia. And this was essentially a
Starting point is 00:52:34 a Christian residential program in the mountains of Northern Georgia aimed at helping troubled teens or those who had brushes with the law. And it's not entirely clear how Tammy got there, but one theory is that juvenile court or social service placed her there to get her away from the bad environment,
Starting point is 00:52:52 perhaps after a runaway incident or minor delinquency. Or her family might have sent her hoping it would help reform her. And the stay at the ranch was in the summer of 1979, and we know this, because of the remarkable audio tapes that surfaced later. Because in July 1979, Tammy recorded a cassette tape of messages and songs, which she mailed to her boyfriend back home in Florida while she was at the Georgia ministry.
Starting point is 00:53:20 And on that tape, Tammy's voice is upbeat and hopeful, and she sounds, as her sister later said, like she still had a positive attitude and warmth despite everything. And it's heart-rending to listen knowing what fate awaited. waited her just months later. So by the end of the summer of 1979, she either returned to Florida or left the ranch on her own accord. What we know is that at some point in autumn of 1979, Tammy Joe Alexander struck out on the road again.
Starting point is 00:54:30 And this time for good. And her exact movements are still a bit of a jigsaw puzzle, but investigators have pieced together some of it. And at 16, Tammy had her whole life ahead of her, but she chose to take a chance at a different life than the one she'd known. And it appears Tammy left Brooksville likely in early fall of 1979. And her high school boyfriend, a young man named Kevin, the ones who kept her tapes, last saw her in the spring of 79, so by the new school year she wasn't around.
Starting point is 00:55:00 And perhaps after turning 16 in November of 1979, she had hoped to celebrate freedom, but instead, by early November, she had somehow traveled roughly 1,100 miles from 3,000, Florida to upstate New York. So how did Tammy go from Florida to New York? But as mentioned before, given her history, the most plausible scenario is she hitchhiked rides with truckers or other travelers heading north. And it's possible she might have made a friend
Starting point is 00:55:26 or met someone, maybe even a boyfriend type, at the Georgia Ranch or elsewhere, who was traveling and she just joined them. Tammy is believed by police to have had a last meal at the Lima diner on November 9th, 1979, with an unknown man. And she likely arrived in the region not long before. So it's conceivable she was making her way
Starting point is 00:55:47 toward the big city, maybe Boston or Canada, given the hitchhiking to Boston mentioned. And just happened to cross paths with a predator. Or maybe she had some plan to stay with someone that fell through. We might never know for sure why Tammy was in Caledonia. But tragically, within perhaps 24 hours of being in that area, she was killed. And one heartbreaking detail that came out after Tammy was identified was that her mother, Barbara Jenkins, died in 1998 at the age of 56. And in Barbara's obituary, the family listed Tammy Joe Alexander as deceased.
Starting point is 00:56:26 And that had no proof, but by then, almost 20 years after Tammy's disappearance, they assumed she must have died because she never contacted anyone. And it's unclear if Barbara truly believed that, or if it was, a way to find closure. And Barbara went to her grave not knowing for sure what happened to her daughter. It's a tragic footnote in a tragic story. And a troubled mother who lost her troubled daughter and never got answers. For Pamela, she said until identification, she held onto a fantasy that Tammy found what they never had at home. And that was stability and love. And learning the truth in 2015 just shattered that dream. But at least it ended the uncertainty and allowed the family to properly mourn Tammy. So Tammy's background is one of a girl failed by those who should have
Starting point is 00:57:15 protected her, who then took her fate into her own hands with youthful bravado. She chased freedom and adventure, but unfortunately ran headlong into deadly danger. So her story resonates as a cautionary tale of the era. In the 1970s, had many lost teens like Tammy, who ran from bad homes only to face worse on the road. And it just underscores why, in the wake of Tammy's case, systems for reporting and tracking missing children have improved. And in 1979, there was no National Missing Kids Network, no Amber Alerts, no NOMUS.
Starting point is 00:57:53 But today, one hopes a girl like Tammy would not fall through the cracks so easily. And with a fuller picture of who Tammy Joe Alexander was, investigators could now refocus on the biggest unanswered question, and that is who took the life of Tammy Joe. So the identification sparked new leads as police tracked Tammy's final steps and companions. And now armed with her name in history, they began the renewed hunt for a killer that, for all anyone knew, might still be out there. Perhaps even watching the news that the Jane Doe they thought would never be identified now had a name. So the identification of Tammy Joe Alexander was a monumental step forward. but it was not the end of the case.
Starting point is 00:58:33 Rather, it was the beginning of an active homicide investigation with a clear direction. And with Tammy Joe's background uncovered now, detectives could retrace her path and contacts in 1979 to hunt for suspects. And new leads poured in after the 2015 announcement, as people across the country realized that the long ago missing Brooksville girl and the famous Caledonia Jane Doe were one and the same. The FBI joined local law enforcement in a fresh push for information. And in early 2015, the FBI put up billboards nationwide featuring Tammy's photo and details of the case, asking for the public's help to find the killer.
Starting point is 00:59:10 And this campaign led to a surge of tips. And by the end of February 2015, the Livingston County Sheriff's Office reported that they received many new leads, enough to start developing a working theory of Tammy's travels in her final days. And while they did not release that scenario publicly in full, they indicated that they had a better sense of how she might. have arrived in Caledonia. And one intriguing lead came from a trucker in Tennessee who contacted authorities after hearing Tammy's story on a radio broadcast. And he remembered a young girl matching Tammy's description from that time. And we don't have the exact details of the sighting, but police called it significant, implying Tammy was indeed spotted on the road during her Odyssey. And although specifics were not disclosed, we can speculate. Perhaps this truck driver recalled giving a ride to a girl he now believes
Starting point is 01:00:00 was Tammy, or he saw Tammy with someone suspicious at a truck stop in late 1979. And Tennessee lies on a route between Florida and New York. So if Tammy hitchhiked up the I-75 and then west or north passing through the Appalachians, it's plausible a trucker out of Tennessee had encountered her. And this kind of eyewitness account, even decades old, can be surprisingly detailed. Truckers often remember unusual passengers or events vividly. And investigators likely followed up rigorously on this, trying to corroborate times and places that match Tammy's known timeline. Then there was a matter of Tammy's time at the Young Harris Georgia Ministry that summer. As in March of 2015, the Sheriff's Department revealed that they discovered Tammy had ties to a former
Starting point is 01:00:48 prison ministry in Georgia that worked with youth on probation or parole. And this is clearly referencing the Rainbow Youth Ranch. And they noted that the ministry was defunct and the founders deceased, which was a dead end in terms of directly interviewing staff. However, they did track down some individuals connected to it. And the key question was, did Tammy meet someone at the ranch who could have harmed her or taken her on the road? And the investigators learned that the program often dealt with troubled young men and women, and perhaps one of them left around the same time Tammy did. and records from the ranch might have listed fellow attendees or visitors. And the mention of individuals on probation or parole suggest an angle.
Starting point is 01:01:30 Could a newly paroled or a probated person from the area have been traveling north and crossed paths with Tammy? Maybe an ex-convict volunteer or someone affiliated with the ministry offered Tammy a ride. And in early 2016, the police disclosed they had identified three male persons of interest who had known Tammy before her death. And they didn't publicly name these men, but it was said that they were part of Tammy's life or circle back then. And it's likely these included perhaps a boyfriend or acquaintance from Florida, maybe someone from the Georgia ranch, or maybe a trucker or friend of a friend who had been in contact. And investigators worked to locate these persons of interests decades later, and impressively, they did find them. And they collected DNA samples from all three men to any forensic evidence from Tammy's case. And this was a major step.
Starting point is 01:02:18 as getting these men's DNA on record would allow police to either include or exclude them if any DNA from the crime scene existed. By November 2016, the FBI reported that none of the three persons of interest DNA matched the sample taken from Tammy's clothing. In other words, those three men were not the source of the unknown male DNA found in this case. So this presumably cleared those individuals of direct involvement in her murder, or at least they weren't the ones who left trace evidence. So the elimination of those suspects might seem like a setback, but it was actually progress, and it narrowed the field. And their interviews might still have provided useful context, even if they weren't the killer. Perhaps one of them knew Tammy's plans or last companions is after Tammy was identified in 2015, investigators publicly said they were revisiting witnesses and leads. And reporting identifies that Lima diner waitress, Marge Bradford, as the last known person to see Tammy alive.
Starting point is 01:03:16 And she described the teen's male companion, tan station wagon, black wire, rimmed glasses, and the meal that they shared that night. And they revisited the original scene and evidence with fresh eyes, and modern forensic labs reexamined Tabby's clothing, the bullet, and any other items for hints that might have been missed. And one big advantage of identifying Tammy was being able to chart her movement, from Florida to Georgia, perhaps some stopovers and then New York, where she was murdered. So investigators likely checked if any other crime occurred along a path Tammy might have taken around late 1979. That could be related. For instance, was there a pattern of hitchhiker assaults or any similar shootings of women? Because they had already looked at serial killers earlier, but now with Tammy's known journey, certain suspects might become more or less likely. And so far, law enforcement has not publicly named any prime suspect, though.
Starting point is 01:04:11 But they emphasized that the case is very much. and that the original man, fully-haired glasses wearing in a station wagon, remains at the center of the investigation. And over the years, composite sketches of him have been circulated, and they hope someone might recognize him. And if you do, please call your local authorities. And one of the most promising angles in the search for Tammy's killer is the DNA evidence gathered from the crime. Back in 1979, they likely didn't have the ability to recover much from the body due to the rain and lack of essay evidence. However, it appears that with modern methods, investigators managed to find some male DNA on Tammy's clothing, when they re-examined it in post-identification.
Starting point is 01:04:54 And they haven't publicly clarified what kind of DNA. It could be touch DNA like skin cells on her jacket or pants, or perhaps bodily fluid, like a bit of sweat or saliva. But it's enough to have a male profile, which they've been actively analyzing. And by 2020, officials announced that they were leveraging cutting-edge forensic genealogy. techniques to try to identify the source of that male DNA. And this is the same approach that famously caught the Golden State Killer, which I did review in one of my older videos. But using genealogical databases to find relatives of the unknown DNA profile and build a family tree to a suspect. So the FBI was reported to be testing the DNA against national databases in search of a familial link
Starting point is 01:05:39 to the killer. In Sheriff's Office, Captain Brian Applin confirmed, we have been and are are exploring DNA avenues in the case, including the ancestral DNA angle. No new information available on that at this time. But this indicates they've likely uploaded the suspect's DNA profile to genealogical services with law enforcement access like GED match or family tree DNA. And as of the latest updates, no match or close familial hints have been announced, meaning the killer's relatives either aren't in those databases or the connections are too distant so far. But the This work is ongoing and it can take time, especially if the suspect came from a lineage not well
Starting point is 01:06:21 represented in the databases. And it's worth noting that DNA technology is advancing very quickly. So if the team hasn't found a match yet, a future improvement or database growth could suddenly make a difference. And additionally, the FBI has offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to the killer's arrest. And they hope that even decades later, someone who knew something might feel compelled, or financially, motivated to speak up. And perhaps a killer confided in a friend or family member at some point, or witnesses who stayed silent
Starting point is 01:06:52 might finally break their silence. So Tammy Joe Alexander's story is not over yet, and the dedicated individuals pursuing her case will not rest until the question that has echoed since 1979 is answered. And that is, who killed Tammy Joe? But if you have any information on this case, please contact local authorities.
Starting point is 01:07:14 I hope to God this case gets solved so any family members can have peace from it. And to get a killer off the streets, it's extremely scary and an extremely devastating story. But it's incredible that detectives and internet slews were able to at least give Tammy her name back. I think that's incredibly special. But I hope this case gets solved. If you guys want me to go over any other cases, let me know. I always read the comments. And until then, I will see your beautiful face.
Starting point is 01:07:46 Okay? Stay safe. Bye.

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