Summary
In March 2000, a woman's body was discovered by fishermen in the Melton Hill Lake in Knoxville, TN and is believed to have entered the water from upstream. Investigators described the unknown woman as Caucasian and estimate that at the time of death, she was likely 24–35 years old.
Termed "The Lady in the Lake", the unknown woman had long brown hair and pierced ears. She had no jewelry or notable distinguishing marks. She was 5'9" and was found with no clothing on her body. The unknown woman had extensive dental work, including silver fillings, a porcelain crown, and possibly braces at some point. Investigators suspect that the unknown woman might have been a drowning victim and that she might have been drugged. Despite a lengthy investigation, she has remained unidentified.
The Oak Ridge Police Department and Knox County Regional Forensic Center have partnered with Othram with the goal of using advanced forensic technology to identify this woman or to find her family. If anyone has any information that could aid this investigation, they are encouraged to contact the Oak Ridge Police Department at 865-425-4399, via email at PoliceTips@OakRidgeTN.gov. Please refer to medical exam case number 171107-197 or NamUs ID: UP2895. A DNASolves fund has been created to cover the costs of testing for this case.
Michael Vogen
Director of Case Management
Michael works with law enforcement agencies throughout the United States and Canada on “unsolvable“ cases that can benefit from advanced DNA testing methods. He helps these agencies use cutting edge DNA sequencing and new forensic techniques to develop investigative leads for their cases.