An Extra-Ordinary Display of Innovation and “Science-That-Solves” Perseverance

In an extraordinary display of innovation and perseverance, the Resolve Forensics lab team, led by Daniel Hellwig and Derek Cutler, working on behalf of the nonprofit Intermountain Forensics, played a pivotal role in identifying a 1976 Jane Doe from Mobile County, Alabama. This case marks a remarkable milestone in forensic science, demonstrating how cutting-edge DNA recovery techniques and outside-the-box thinking from the most determined and dedicated lab team–bold enough to try, was able to devise a novel solution and deliver a quality DNA profile suitable for IGG in what had been deemed by others as an unsolvable case.

On May 18, 1976, the remains of an elderly woman were discovered in Session’s Creek in Grand Bay, Alabama. She had been murdered—killed by a gunshot to the back of the head. In addition, her hands had been mutilated in an apparent effort to prevent identification. With no name, no leads, and no viable evidence, the case quickly went cold.

By 1979, the unidentified remains were cremated and buried by the Anatomical Donations Program at the University of South Alabama. For decades, it seemed as though this Jane Doe would never be identified.

That changed in December 2022, when Olivia McCarter of the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office and the team at Moxxy Forensic Investigations uncovered a long-forgotten ceramic dental mold believed to have belonged to the victim. The mold was carefully packaged and shipped to the lab, where the Resolve Forensics laboratory team quickly identified a novel solution.

Using the MVAC system, the team successfully extracted the only existing DNA sample from the mold. Despite the odds, the sample was clean and viable for whole-genome sequencing. This breakthrough, no-body milestone achievement, was a success due to the team’s relentless pursuit of scientific understanding, industry innovation, DNA expertise, and a passion for justice, providing a high-quality SNP profile suitable for Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG).

By April 2023, the IGG team at Moxxy Forensics identified the victim as Ada Elizabeth Fritz, a 61-year-old woman born in 1914 in Sheridan, Wyoming. Ada had last been known to reside in Batesville, Arkansas, and was never reported missing. The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office confirmed her identity after locating and contacting her nephew—Ada had no children.

This case is believed to be one of the first successful identifications from a cremated individual using IGG—a true testament to the collaborative efforts and innovative thinking of the teams involved.

Resolve Forensics is proud to have contributed its expertise to this historic identification, alongside Intermountain Forensics, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, Moxxy Forensic Investigations, MVAC Systems, GEDmatch, and the Orange County (CA) Sheriff’s Department. Together, this coalition proved that even the most seemingly impossible cases can be solved—with science, determination, and creative thinking.

Further Reading:
• Mobile County Jane Doe (1976) – Unidentified Awareness Wiki
• Jane Doe Found in Alabama Believed to Be From Mississippi – WLBT
• After 47 Years, Jane Doe’s Identity Finally Revealed – AL.com

Let us take a look. We are not only pioneers in the forensic investigative genetic genealogy (FIGG) space, our new lab brings all this unique expertise and passion under one roof, specializing in the hardest, oldest, and coldest cases, offering the most advanced forensic DNA extraction and sequencing techniques for quality SNP profiles and leads that solve cases.