Remains of Deceased Woman Found in Rural Indiana Identified as Missing Wisconsin Woman, Connie Lorraine Christensen, Who Vanished Over 40 Years Ago

The remains of a woman found dead in rural Indiana in 1982 have been identified as those of a Wisconsin woman who went missing over four decades ago. Connie Lorraine Christensen, who was from the Madison, Wisconsin-area community of Oregon, has now been identified as the woman whose remains were discovered by hunters near Jacksonburg, a rural community east of Indianapolis. Christensen had died from a gunshot wound, and her homicide case remains unsolved.

The DNA Doe Project, a nonprofit that works to identify cold case victims, provided information about Christensen’s clothing. She was found wearing high-heeled wooden soled clogs, a blue button-up blouse, gray slacks, long knit socks, and a blue nylon jacket. She also wore a gold ring with an opal and two diamonds.

Christensen was last seen in Nashville, Tennessee, in April 1982. At the time, she was believed to be three to four months pregnant. Her 1-year-old daughter was left with relatives while she was away, and they reported her missing when she failed to return as planned to Wisconsin.

Christensen’s remains were stored at the University of Indianapolis’ forensic anthropology department until the coroner’s office partnered with the DNA Doe Project to identify them. Forensic genetic genealogy determined that the remains closely matched the DNA of two of Christensen’s relatives.

Coincidentally, during the identification efforts, Christensen’s family was already working on creating an accurate family tree using ancestry and genealogy. Several of her living relatives had uploaded their DNA to an ancestry website, which helped the genealogists at the DNA Doe Project provide the coroner’s office with a candidate’s name.

Christensen’s now adult daughter was taken to the location where her mother’s remains were found to leave flowers. Authorities also gave her a gold ring set with an opal and two diamonds that was found with her mother’s remains.

The DNA Doe Project expressed condolences to Christensen’s family and commended their dedicated and skilled volunteers for assisting law enforcement in bringing closure to the case after all these years.