Maury County Sheriff's Department Teams with Othram to Identify 2020 Jane Doe

Summary

In November 2020, a Maury County Sherriff’s Deputy discovered the skeletal remains of an unidentified woman in a wooded area near Hood Road in Columbia, Tennessee. An anthropological examination revealed that the woman was likely a white female between the age of 25 and 40, estimated to be between five and five feet seven inches tall. It was predicted that the woman had died one to five years before the discovery of her remains.

Investigators entered the case into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP76025 but they were unable to identify the victim through traditional forensic methods.

In 2021, the Maury County Sheriff's Department turned to forensic genetic genealogy. Skeletal remains were sent to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas and a suitable DNA extract was developed. Othram’s scientists used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile, and Othram’s in-house genetic genealogy team used the profile to generate investigative leads.

The leads were returned to law enforcement, and investigators continued their investigative efforts. Eventually, a family member was identified for DNA testing, which confirmed that the remains belonged to Amanda Newcomb. Amanda was born on October 31, 1978, in Columbia, Maury County, Tennessee. It was discovered that Amanda had died sometime after 2018, and no missing person’s report had been filed.

The Maury County Sheriff's Department asks that anyone with information or anyone that had contact with or knew of any associates of Amanda Newcomb between February 2018 and early 2020, to please contact the Maury County Sheriff’s office at

931-388-5151 - Dispatch 931-375-6601 – Lt. Roscoe Voss 931-375-8601 - Sheriff Bucky Rowland