Betty Lou Wisley: Identity of Burned Body Found in Roane County in 1987 Finally Revealed through DNA Testing

A woman whose remains were discovered in 1987 in Roane County, Tennessee, has finally been identified thanks to a collaboration between the Roane County Sheriff’s Office and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Unidentified Human Remains DNA Initiative.

The body was found on August 29, 1987, near a garbage dumpster in the 2600 block of Highway 58 in Kingston. Forensic experts determined that the remains belonged to a white female, estimated to be between 35 and 50 years old. The victim had been burned after her death and left next to the dumpster. Despite efforts by investigators at the time, her identity remained a mystery and she was labeled as a Jane Doe.

Over the years, attempts were made to identify the woman. In 2009, a sample of her remains was submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and her DNA profile was entered into national databases for missing and unidentified persons. However, no progress was made in identifying her.

As part of the Unidentified Human Remains DNA Initiative, the Roane County Sheriff’s Office and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation enlisted the help of Othram Inc., a private lab in Texas, for forensic genetic genealogical (FGG) DNA testing. Scientists at Othram provided information about possible relatives connected to the woman. Recently, contact was made with one of those family members, and a familial DNA standard was obtained and compared to the unidentified woman’s DNA. The tests confirmed that the remains belonged to Betty Lou Wisley, born on December 30, 1935, originally from Clinton, Missouri. It was further determined that Wisley was living in or near Knox County at the time of her death.

Now, investigators are seeking the public’s help in piecing together the events leading up to Wisley’s death. Any information, particularly regarding individuals she may have been with before her death, is crucial to the investigation. The Roane County Sheriff’s Office can be contacted at 865-717-4722 or via email at sheriff@roanesheriff.org.

The identification of Betty Lou Wisley brings closure to a decades-old mystery and offers hope that other unidentified victims may one day be identified through advancements in DNA technology and collaboration between law enforcement agencies.