New clues in 22-year mystery: Can you help give Jane "Alcoa" Doe her name back?

Very little is known about Jane “Alcoa” Doe. Not only is her identity a mystery, but also her age, where she lived and even how she died. The inscription on a tank top found near her skeletal remains offers a hint of the person she once was: “I don’t need a great deal of love…just a steady supply.”

On March 25, 2003, a surveyor working in a wooded area in Alcoa, Tennessee spotted her skull in a drainage creek bed. In searches of the area, Alcoa police found scattered bones, small black synthetic braids, a blue fleece jacket and the tank top. They believe she was between the ages of 17 to 25.

Over the last 22 years, the Alcoa Police Department, Bode Technology – the largest private DNA analysis lab in the country – and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) have been trying to give Jane Alcoa Doe, a young black female, her name back.

Five years ago, forensic genetic genealogists at Bode uploaded a sample of her DNA into two public ancestry databases, GEDmatch PRO and Family Tree DNA, and began trying to build her family tree. Through their extensive research, they’ve been able to identify a number of potential family lines connected to specific regions and surnames.

Now they need your help.

As ancestry databases have become robust with DNA samples, forensic genetic genealogists have had increasing success giving names back to unidentified deceased children and adults and providing answers to their families. The percentage of samples submitted to these databases by African Americans, however, is comparatively very small, according to forensic genetic genealogists.

“I want the public to know they can really help without doing much of anything,” Teresa Vreeland, VP of Forensic Genealogy Services at Bode, said of simply giving a mouth swab. “They can help give somebody their identity back.”

Vreeland said forensic genetic genealogists at Bode, a longtime partner of NCMEC’s that has helped identify dozens of deceased children, are especially interested in hearing from people with family ties to these areas: 

According to Vreeland, surnames of interest include: Suber, Jackson, Leak, Hargroves, Russell, Roach, Harris and Goins. The Suber family has deep roots in Newberry County; other surnames are primarily associated with families in the North Carolina counties. Many descendants, particularly from the Jackson and Leak lines, have strong ties to Moore County and have moved between there and New York City since the mid-20^th century.

Alcoa Detective Connor Underwood, the lead investigator on the case, is asking anyone with connections to these names and places to call him at 1-865-981-4111. If a match looks promising, they’ll be asked to submit DNA for confirmation with a mouth swab, he said.

“I would like for anyone who thinks that they have relatives with any of these individuals to contact us,” said Underwood. “Without the public’s help, it’s really difficult.”

Tank top found near Jane Alcoa Doe's skeletal remains. (Courtesy of Alcoa Police Department)

Although her skeletal remains were found in Alcoa, it’s not known if Jane Alcoa Doe actually lived there or was just passing through, Underwood said. Her skeletal remains were found not far from a busy major highway and McGhee Tyson Airport in Blount County, just south of downtown Knoxville.

Was it murder? Suicide? Accidental? Whatever happened, she could have died eight months to four years before her skeletal remains were found. A NCMEC forensic artist has created a facial reconstruction of what she may have looked like.

While there were few clues, Jane Alcoa Doe had one very unique characteristic – her teeth – that someone might remember, Underwood said. Her two left incisors were missing for several years prior to her death, and her front teeth showed extreme flaring and would have been sticking almost straight out. Her lower jaw was not recovered.

Until she’s identified, the investigation into how she died can’t begin, Underwood said. He’s hoping the public can help crack the case.

“I don’t know if we’ll ever find out what happened to her,” said Underwood. “But I’m hoping we can bring closure to her family.”

Wherever they are.

NCMEC’s Forensic Services Unit is currently helping law enforcement identify 640 deceased children. To learn more, go to Help ID Me.