GA DEKALB COUNTY JANE DOE: WF, 20-40, found behind building in northern Dekalb County, GA - 17 Sep 1993 - Hip replacement *REBECCA BURKE*

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281UFGA - Unidentified Female​

Left: Clay Reconstruction of Victim by Investigator Sam Buice; Right: Reconstructions by NCMEC

Date of Discovery: September 17, 1993
Location of Discovery: DeKalb County, Georgia
Estimated Date of Death: 3 Months prior
State of Remains: Not recognizable - Near complete or complete skeleton
Cause of Death: Unknown

Physical Description​

Estimated Age: 20 - 40 years old
Race: White
Gender: Female
Height: 5'5", Estimated
Weight: 125 lbs., Estimated
Hair Color: The decedent had long, curly hair which appeared to be light brown in color. Her hair had a "frosted" appearance.
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: She had undergone a full left hip replacement that repaired an intertrochanteric fracture of the left hip. A stainless steel orthopedic plate was present on the lateral aspect of the left femur, extending just below the femoral neck. It was held in place by screws. The device was further described as a "compression hip screw" comprised of two separate devices: a "tube plate" and a "lag screw".

Identifiers​

Dentals: Available; She had extensive dental work including a fixed gold bridge, two full gold crowns and both upper front teeth were fused to metal crowns.
Fingerprints: Not Available
DNA: Available

Clothing & Personal Items​

Clothing: Black t-shirt with an inside collar label reading "KLM Dome" (size large) and a multi-colored design/logo on the front reading "WAIKOLOA". She was also wearing blue denim jeans.
Jewelry: No jewelry was found.
Additional Personal Items: The decedent was wearing white cross-training type shoes with blue and red stripes (size 8). The sole of the left shoe is marked XJ900.

Circumstances of Discovery​

This is a Dekalb County Police Department case, assisted by the NCMEC. Tips/leads can be submitted to NCMEC or to the Dekalb County PD at 770-724-7890. The skeletal remains of this decedent were found behind a building on Ranchwood Drive, near Lavista Road and I-285 in northern Dekalb County, GA. The decedent is estimated to have been 5'-04" to 5'07" and 115 to 140 pounds in life at , Georgia.

Investigating Agency(s)​

Agency Name: DeKalb County Med Examiners Office
Agency Phone Number: 404-508-3500
Agency Case Number: NCMEC # 1119370

Agency Name: DeKalb County Police Department
Agency Phone Number: 770-724-7890

NCIC Case Number: U685897446
NamUs Case Number: 6001

Information Source(s)​

NamUs

CASE NUMBER - 281UFGA

www.doenetwork.org

#JaneDoe found behind a building in northern Dekalb County, #GEORGIA on 17 Sep 1993. She had a metal repair in her hip.

Race: White Gender: Female Height: 5'5", Estimated Weight: 125 lbs., Estimated Hair Color: The decedent had long, curly hair which appeared to be light brown in color. Her hair had a "frosted" appearance.

www.crimewatchers.net

*CLICK THE REPORT BUTTON IF YOU'D LIKE THIS CASE MOVED TO THE GENERAL DISCUSSION AREA TO BE OPENED FOR COMMENTING.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Othram has taken on this case! Her case is fully funded and work is underway.

Who is Dekalb County Jane Doe (1993)?

DeKalb County Medical Examiner's Office and Othram Team to Identify 1993 Homicide Victim

dnasolves.com

In September 1993, the skeletal remains of a woman were covered with pine straw found behind a building on Ranchwood Drive in northern DeKalb County, Georgia. The remains were discovered in a wooded area behind a Fairfield Inn near Lavista Road and the I-285 interstate. Investigators estimated that the unknown woman was Caucasian, stood between 5'4" to 5'7" in height, and weighed between 115 and 140 pounds. It was also determined that she had long, curly light brown hair which was described as "frosted.” Investigators also noted that the woman had received extensive dental procedures in her life, as well as a full left hip replacement and a steel plate on her left femur. It is speculated she suffered a traumatic injury such as a vehicle accident or a fall or suffered from osteoporosis or low bone density and muscle mass.

Investigators suspect that the woman may have been the victim of sexual assault and homicide. When she was discovered, her shirt was pulled inside out over her head and midway down the torso. Her jeans had been unfastened and completely unzipped at the waist. Investigators confirmed antemortem fractures of the woman’s maxilla and orbital rim, as well as a possible fracture of her neck. The cause of death is suspected to be blunt force trauma.

For decades, law enforcement diligently pursued various leads about the woman's identity. Multiple composite images of the woman have been created, including one by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and another by the Dekalb County Police Department. In October 2019, her case was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as #UP6001. Despite the exhaustive efforts of law enforcement, the woman’s identity has remained a mystery. With few leads for investigators to pursue, the case eventually went cold.

In 2022, the DeKalb County Medical Examiner's Office partnered with Othram to determine if advanced forensic DNA testing could help establish an identity for the woman or a close relative.

This work is being funded as a part of an ongoing collaboration between NamUs and Othram. Anyone with information that could aid in this investigation is encouraged to call the Cold Case tipline at 404-371-2444, or the DeKalb County Police Department at 770-724-7715, and reference agency case 93319305.

 

[ima.grandma]

It’s the goal for Patrick Bailey and his team at the DeKalb Medical Examiner's Office to safely identify and return bodies to their loved ones once they’ve transitioned, but there’s one case still unsolved.

It's been almost three decades since the unidentified skeletal remains of a woman were found near North Lake Mall. Those remains were discovered on Sept. 17, 1993, in a wooded area off Parklake Drive

"You want families to have closure," Bailey said. "You want to make sure you’re exhausting every avenue out there to conduct identification."
The Medical Examiner's Office says the woman had extensive dental work, a fixed fold bridge, two full gold crowns, and had a full left hip replacement. Experts believe she was there several weeks to several months before she was found. Computer renderings show what the woman might have looked like at the time of her death.

"Hair played a role because it was brown in color or glazed in coloring, and it suggests that the female might have gone out of the way to enhance her appearance," Bailey said.

The woman was wearing a black T-shirt with a multicolored writing, jeans, and white leather cross trainer tennis shoes.
Bailey says his team won’t stop until they send this woman back to be with her family.

Nearly 30 years later, DeKalb Medical Examiner's Office still trying to identify woman's remains

It’s the goal for Patrick Bailey and his team at the DeKalb Medical Examiner's Office to safely identify and return bodies to their loved ones once they’ve transitioned, but there’s one case still unsolved.

www.fox5atlanta.com

DeKalb County Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains Collaborative | Bureau of Justice Assistance

The DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office, on behalf of the DeKalb County Cold Case Task Force, is seeking funding to catalog, investigate, and report on 27 unidentified human bodies or sets of remains catalogued at the DeKalb Medical Examiner’s Office, and either stored there or already...

bja.ojp.gov

 

[Mel70]

It’s the goal for Patrick Bailey and his team at the DeKalb Medical Examiner's Office to safely identify and return bodies to their loved ones once they’ve transitioned, but there’s one case still unsolved.

It's been almost three decades since the unidentified skeletal remains of a woman were found near North Lake Mall. Those remains were discovered on Sept. 17, 1993, in a wooded area off Parklake Drive

"You want families to have closure," Bailey said. "You want to make sure you’re exhausting every avenue out there to conduct identification."
The Medical Examiner's Office says the woman had extensive dental work, a fixed fold bridge, two full gold crowns, and had a full left hip replacement. Experts believe she was there several weeks to several months before she was found. Computer renderings show what the woman might have looked like at the time of her death.

"Hair played a role because it was brown in color or glazed in coloring, and it suggests that the female might have gone out of the way to enhance her appearance," Bailey said.

The woman was wearing a black T-shirt with a multicolored writing, jeans, and white leather cross trainer tennis shoes.
Bailey says his team won’t stop until they send this woman back to be with her family.

Nearly 30 years later, DeKalb Medical Examiner's Office still trying to identify woman's remains

It’s the goal for Patrick Bailey and his team at the DeKalb Medical Examiner's Office to safely identify and return bodies to their loved ones once they’ve transitioned, but there’s one case still unsolved.

www.fox5atlanta.com

DeKalb County Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains Collaborative | Bureau of Justice Assistance

The DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office, on behalf of the DeKalb County Cold Case Task Force, is seeking funding to catalog, investigate, and report on 27 unidentified human bodies or sets of remains catalogued at the DeKalb Medical Examiner’s Office, and either stored there or already...

bja.ojp.gov

Thank you for the new case post @Romulus. I'm glad it's fully funded. Usually the amount of funds they are given is shameful. While billions are spent frivolously. Iowa was investigating cold cases, And were really making a big difference, But not anymore. Their funding ran out a long time ago. Missing and unidentified persons should be one of the top priorities. I really hope they can identify her.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Body found in DeKalb County woods in 1993 identified as Cobb County woman

Police have spent nearly 30 years searching for answers in the mystery of a woman whose body was found in DeKalb County. Thanks to DNA technology, they've finally learned who she was.

www.fox5atlanta.com

Published March 22, 2023 6:40AM
FOX 5 Atlanta

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - After decades of searching for answers, DeKalb County police say they've had a breakthrough in a cold case connected to the death of a woman.

The DeKalb County District Attorney's Office says the remains of a woman found in 1993 have finally been identified.

According to officials, on Sept. 17, 1993, the body of the woman was found in the woods off of Northlake Parkway on the west side of Interstate 285.

Investigators say the woman was wearing a black T-shirt with the phrase "Waikoloa" written in multi-colored letters, blue jeans, and size-8 white leather athletics shoes. She did not have any undergarments on and no jewelry.


An examination of the body led officials to discover that she had extensive dental work including multiple crowns and had undergone a full left hip replacement.

Last year, police shared artist renderings of the woman, hoping for answers as to who she could be. Five months later, they say they've determined her identity thanks in part to a $500K in grant funding the DA’s Office has secured to identify nearly two dozen remains in the county.

At this time, officials have not released the identity of the woman or the cause of her death.

They're expected to reveal her identity and talk about their upcoming DNA Drive to help locate other missing individuals at a press conference Wednesday morning.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Live News Stream: Watch FOX 5 Atlanta

Stream local news and weather live from FOX 5 Atlanta. Plus watch LiveNow, FOX SOUL, and more exclusive coverage from around the country.

www.fox5atlanta.com

For anyone who might be interested, live press conference coming up shortly. Not exactly sure what time, but they are setting up.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Identified as Rebecca Burke (Becky) of Cobb County. She was 52 years old.

Cause of death: Blunt force trama. Categorized as homicide.

Identified through FIG, Forensic Innovative Genealogy.

DeKalb has received a grant for $500,000 for the purposes of processing, identification of 27 unidentified persons.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Body found in DeKalb County woods in 1993 identified as Cobb County woman

Police have spent nearly 30 years searching for answers in the mystery of a woman whose body was found in DeKalb County. Thanks to DNA technology, they've finally learned who she was.

www.fox5atlanta.com

Published March 22, 2023 6:40AM
Updated 11:00AM
FOX 5 Atlanta

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - After decades of searching for answers, DeKalb County police have made a breakthrough in the mystery of a once-unidentified girl found dead in Tucker.

The DeKalb County District Attorney's Office says the remains of the woman, who was found in 1993, have finally been identified as 52-year-old Rebecca "Becky" Burke of Cobb County.

 

[Guess Who]

Identified as Rebecca Burke (Becky) of Cobb County. She was 52 years old.

Cause of death: Blunt force trama. Categorized as homicide.

Identified through FIG, Forensic Innovative Genealogy.

DeKalb has received a grant for $500,000 for the purposes of processing, identification of 27 unidentified persons.

I thought her dentals and hip replacement put her in the "at least 50" age range, but was going by that alone