Summary
On October 9, 2025, the remains of an unidentified woman were found in an extended-stay motel in Media, a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, about 13 miles west of Philadelphia. Law enforcement agencies, including the Pennsylvania State Police and the Delaware County Medical Examiner's Office responded and began collecting evidence and investigating. While the woman was tentatively identified, her identity could not be confirmed.
Officials with the Delaware County Medical Examiner's Office submitted 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 remains, using Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive SNP profile for the woman.
During the course of the investigation, reference DNA samples were collected from potential relatives of the womanand compared to the DNA profile of the unknown woman using KinSNP® Rapid Relationship Testing. This investigation led to the positive identification of the woman, who is now known to be Jacqueline Leroux, born on August 25, 1953. She was 72 years old.
As a young adult, she represented Belgium as a debutante at the prestigious International Debutante Ball at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer in 1973. Jacqueline Leroux was a model who was studying science at Villanova University and taking Latin at Haverford College. She also spent a summer studying limnology, the study of inland aquatic ecosystem, at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. Her father was Belgium's honorary consul in Philadelphia for many years, and he was knighted by King Baudouin.
Othram is grateful to Senator Dan Laughlin and the Pennsylvania Senate Republican Caucus for their support of funding, which covered Othram's casework cost and led to Jacqueline Leroux’s identification.
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 14th publicly announced case in the State of Pennsylvania 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.