Summary

On August 8, 2025, Hillsborough County maintenance workers made a grim discovery off Ramblewood Road in Lutz, Florida. A large blue bag, located approximately 15 to 20 feet off the road in the tree line was found. Inside were the skeletal remains of what appeared to be an elderly female. Law enforcement was alerted and officers with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene, assisted by the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The woman could not be identified and details of the case were entered into NamUs as UP149837 as part of the investigation into her identity.

To identify the woman, local law enforcement partnered with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) to submit forensic evidence to Othram in hopes that identity inference could lead to the woman’s identity. Identity inference is a process that enables investigators to identify individuals from DNA evidence, even when there is no known reference sample to initially compare against.

In October 2025, forensic evidence arrived at 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 used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive SNP profile for the woman. This forensic SNP profile powered a forensic search, executed by Othram's forensic genetic genealogy team.

A follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the woman allowing for the collection of a reference DNA sample from a potential relative. This individual’s DNA profile was compared to the DNA profile of the Jane Doe using Othram’s KinSNP® testing. This comparison has now allowed investigators to identify the woman as 78-year-old Jacquelyn Cirone.

Following Cirone’s identification, investigators with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office determined that after Cirone’s death, her caregiver, 64-year-old Rebecca Vaughn, failed to report her death to authorities. Instead she disposed of Cirone's body in the woods. Vaughn has been charged with multiple crimes including tampering with physical evidence, failure to report death to a medical examiner or law enforcement (intent to conceal), and unlawfully holding or moving a deceased human in unapproved conditions.

FDLE, which accepted the case through its Missing and Unidentified Human Remains Program, facilitated the casework with funding from BJA MUHR grant program.

Individuals who have taken a consumer DNA test can aid ongoing forensic investigations by joining the DNASolves database. Expanding the pool of available DNA data increases the likelihood of successful identifications, helping to reunite families with their missing loved ones and resolve cases that have remained unsolved for years.

This is the 57th publicly announced case in the State of Florida where officials leveraged Othram’s identity inference pipeline. Explore other cases on Othram’s website.