By Trend News Line 2024-04-03 11:30:50.
Identification of Lincoln County Jane Doe
In a remarkable turn of events, a headstone in the Troy Cemetery in Missouri has finally been given a name. For over four decades, the grave simply read “Lincoln County Jane Doe,” a haunting reminder of an unidentified girl found in the Mississippi River in 1978. However, recent developments have shed light on the identity of this mysterious individual.
Discovery of Helen Renee Groomes
The breakthrough came when a hunter stumbled upon the body of a young girl in Elsberry, Missouri, back in March of 1978. Initially thought to be a tragic accident, with the cause of death determined to be drowning, the case remained unsolved for years. It wasn’t until November of 2023 that a glimmer of hope emerged.
Exhumation and DNA Testing
Lincoln County Coroner Dan Heavin took the bold step of exhuming the body in the hopes of finding a match through DNA testing. With the assistance of SEMO Anthropology professor Jennifer Bengtson and her dedicated students, a breakthrough was made. The strands of DNA were meticulously examined and compared to ancestry databases, leading to a remarkable discovery.
A Shocking Revelation
The results revealed that the unknown girl was none other than 15-year-old Helen Renee Groomes from Ottumwa, Iowa. The revelation sent shockwaves through the community as the pieces of a decades-old puzzle started to fall into place. But the question remained: what had happened to Helen?
An Investigation Unfolds
As authorities in Iowa began to delve into Helen’s past, disturbing details started to emerge. Suspicions fell on her step-father, who allegedly made a chilling confession on his deathbed in the 1980s. Reports of a history of abuse within the family added a dark and tragic layer to the story.
A Family’s Closure
Despite the harrowing nature of the revelations, there was a glimmer of solace for Helen’s family. They traveled to Missouri to visit her grave and finally bring her ashes back home to Iowa. Standing by her headstone, Helen’s brother Kevin spoke the words that finally laid to rest the ghost of “Lincoln County Jane Doe.”
“She is no longer Jane Doe. This is Helen, my sister,” he proclaimed, a bittersweet moment of closure for a family torn apart by tragedy. The journey from anonymity to recognition had been a long and arduous one, but in the end, the truth had prevailed.
In a poignant reflection on the events, Coroner Dan Heavin expressed his satisfaction in being able to provide some closure to Helen’s family. The once unknown girl buried in a small cemetery in Missouri had finally been given a name, a face, and a story. And with that came a sense of peace and resolution for those who had waited so long for answers..
“DNA solves cold case Lincoln County”
“Long-tailed DNA evidence Lincoln County cold case”.
