Summary
In September 1994, two teenagers discovered a human skull in a wooded area near a stream off of Interstate 95 in Darien, Connecticut. Investigators determined that the skull belonged to a white female who was between the ages of 40 and 50 years. It is estimated that the woman died as many as ten years prior to the discovery of her remains. No belongings or identifying characteristics were recovered and the identity of the woman was unknown.
In 2015, details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as case number UP14546. Since the discovery of the woman’s remains, law enforcement investigators have pursued various leads about her identity. Despite their efforts, the case went cold.
In 2023, in an ongoing collaboration aimed at solving the backlog of cold cases in Connecticut, the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner submitted forensic evidence to Otham's laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas. Othram scientists developed a suitable DNA extract from the evidence and then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the unknown woman. Othram's in-house forensic genetic genealogy team used the profile in a genetic genealogy search to develop new investigative leads that were returned to investigators.
In a follow-up investigation, Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner investigators made contact with potential relatives of the woman, and were able to obtain a familial DNA reference sample. That reference sample DNA was submitted to Othram for comparison against the DNA of the unidentified woman using KinSNP® Rapid Relationship Familial Testing. This information allowed law enforcement to establish that the human skull found in 1994 was that of Patricia Hall, born June 4, 1962.
Othram's costs for laboratory and investigative effort in this case were covered by DNASolves® crowdfund. We are so grateful to everyone that helped crowdfund this case and other DNASolves cases.
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.