Burned remains wrapped in cloth ID’d as 18-year-old missing since 1987, Ohio cops say
A 1987 case went cold after Ohio officials were unable to identify the body of a woman found burned and wrapped in a pink-colored cloth behind an auto shop, officials said.
Little was known about who the woman was or how she ended up there. She had strawberry blonde hair, pearl earrings and pink toenail polish, according to DNASolves, but the timely attempts to identify her were unsuccessful, police and DNASolves said.
The unidentified woman became known as “Toledo Jane Doe,” according to the Porchlight Project, until now.
Genetic genealogy testing positively identified the decades-old remains as 18-year-old Tammy Lowe of Taylor, Michigan, Toledo police announced in an April 1 news release.
Lowe was believed to have been dead for several days before her body was discovered, according to DNASolves.
Investigators believe someone set fire to her body in an attempt to destroy any evidence, officials said.
Officials did not disclose any details about Lowe’s cause of death.
The Porchlight Project, a nonprofit that funds genetic genealogy or DNA testing for Ohio cold cases, funded the “Toledo Jane Doe” investigation in 2024. The remains were sent to Othram, police said, and a potential family member was identified.
Further DNA testing from a close relative then led to the identification of Lowe on March 20, police said.
Taylor is about a 50-mile drive north from Toledo.
Genetic genealogy
Genetic genealogy uses DNA testing coupled with “traditional genealogical methods” to create “family history profiles,” according to the Library of Congress. With genealogical DNA testing, researchers can determine if and how people are biologically related.
Familial DNA searching
Familial DNA searching is done by comparing DNA profiles with government-run DNA databases, such as the Combined DNA Index System, according to Jennifer Wiebe, a professional genealogist.
Unlike forensic investigative genetic genealogy, which searches public DNA databases, it “can only locate very close relatives, either a parent, child or sibling,” Wiebe said on her website.
Forensic investigative genetic genealogy can potentially find more distant relatives, according to Wiebe.
This story was originally published April 1, 2025 at 5:06 PM with the headline "Burned remains wrapped in cloth ID’d as 18-year-old missing since 1987, Ohio cops say."
