Volusia County Sheriff’s Office and District 7 Medical Examiner Team with Othram to Identify 1990 Homicide Victim

After 33 years, Volusia County Jane Doe has been identified as 32-year-old Roberta “Bobbie” Lynn Headley Weber.
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Published September 29 by Michael Vogen
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Summary

In April 1990, the remains of an unidentified woman were found in a wooded area east of Clyde Morris Boulevard in Ormond Beach, Florida which is located north of Daytona Beach in Volusia County. An individual discovered the remains while walking along a trail that leads from Clyde Morris Boulevard to Avenue D in the Daytona Pines subdivision. Law enforcement later found additional skeletonized portions of the woman’s body scattered throughout the wooded area, but no clothing or personal property was ever recovered. The woman's death was ruled a homicide. She could not be identified and became known as Volusia County Jane Doe.

In 2000, a forensic facial reconstruction was created to depict how the woman have looked during her life. Later, in 2015 an updated, digital forensic sketch was created to represent the woman’s likely appearance more accurately. Despite the investigative work of detectives, the woman’s identity remained unknown. Details of the unidentified person case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP923.

In June 2023, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office in collaboration with the District 7 Medical Examiner’s Office teamed with Othram to determine if advanced DNA testing could help to identify the woman. Skeletal remains were sent to Othram's laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the skeletal evidence and used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to develop a comprehensive DNA profile. Othram's in-house forensic genetic genealogy team then used the profile in a genealogical search to generate new investigative leads, including information about a Missouri woman, who was likely a close relative of the unidentified woman.

Volusia County Sheriff’s Detectives conducted a follow-up investigation and spoke to the Missouri woman who confirmed that she had not seen her sister since 1989. Detectives also identified the likely children of the unidentified woman who confirmed that they had not seen their mother since 1989. Reference DNA samples were provided by the potential sister and daughter of the unidentified woman. DNA comparisons revealed a match and Volusia County Jane Doe was positively identified as Roberta “Bobbie” Lynn Headley Weber. Roberta graduated from high school in the late 1970s and was married in 1979. In 1989, she divorced her husband and was no longer seen again by her family. Her family believed that she was either living in California or that she was deceased. Roberta, who was born December 3, 1957, would have been 32 years old at the time her remains were discovered.

The investigation into Ms. Weber’s death has been reopened by the Volusia County Sheriff's Office. Anyone with information about the crime should contact the Major Case Unit at 386-254-1537 or email coldcaseunittips@volusiasheriff.gov.

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Michael Vogen

Michael Vogen

Director of Case Management

2829 Technology Forest Blvd Suite 100, The Woodlands, Texas 77381
media@othram.com

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.

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About Othram Inc.

Othram is the world’s first private DNA laboratory built specifically to apply the power of modern parallel sequencing to forensic evidence. Othram’s scientists are experts at ... Read morerecovery, enrichment, and analysis of human DNA from trace quantities of degraded or contaminated materials. Founded in 2018, and located in The Woodlands, Texas, our team works with academic researchers, forensic scientists, medical examiners, and law enforcement agencies to achieve results when other approaches have failed. Follow Othram on Twitter @OthramTech or visit Othram.com to learn how we can help you with your case. With dnasolves.com anyone can make a difference and help solve the next cold case.