Summary
In October 1994, the remains of an unidentified individual were found along railroad tracks near US Highway 64 between Morrilton and Plumerville, Arkansas. The Conway County Sheriff's Office responded and began collecting evidence and investigating. They determined the remains belonged to a woman who had been murdered. Several articles of clothing were found alongside the woman's remains.
Despite a lengthy investigation, the woman could not be identified and she became known as Conway County Jane Doe. Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP2820. 
In September 2023, investigators teamed with Othram to leverage identity inference, a process that enables investigators to identify individuals from DNA evidence, even when there is no known reference sample to initially compare against. Officials with the Conway County Sheriff's Office and Arkansas State Police worked together to submit forensic evidence to Othram's laboratory headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas.
At Othram, scientists reviewed details of the case, determining that advanced DNA testing could help to identify the woman. Othram scientists worked to develop a DNA extract from the provided skeletal remains, using Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive SNP profile for the woman. This SNP profile powered a forensic search led by Othram's in-house forensic genetic genealogy team. Additional forensic genetic genealogy work was carried out by law enforcement. New investigative leads about the woman's identity were made available as a result of this investigative process.
Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the woman. Reference DNA samples were collected from a relative and compared to the DNA profile of the unidentified woman by the Arkansas State Crime Lab. This comparison, coupled with the investigative work of law enforcement, led to the positive identification of the woman, who is now known to be Jamie Ann Moore, of Conway, Arkansas. Moore was 32 years old at the time of her death.
“The identification of Jamie Moore marks a significant step forward in this investigation and, most importantly, provides long-awaited answers to Jamie's loved ones,” said Conway County Sheriff Mike Smith.
This is the 10th publicly announced case in the State of Arkansas where officials leveraged Othram’s identity inference pipeline. Explore other cases on Othram’s website.
Dan Miller
Director of Customer Service
Dan guides law enforcement agencies across the United States and internationally through every step of the forensic process—from crime scene to courtroom. He ensures investigators have the support and resources they need to navigate advanced DNA testing and maximize the impact of forensic evidence in their cases.