OH TOLEDO JANE DOE: WF, 16-21, found near Interstate 75 in Toledo, OH - 16 June 1987 - 5 pearl earrings *TAMMY LOWE*

335UFOH - Unidentified Female​

Reconstruction of Victim by Amy Sanderson

Date of Discovery: June 16, 1987
Location of Discovery: Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio
Estimated Date of Death: Several days prior
State of Remains: Not recognizable - Charred/burned
Cause of Death: Possible cocaine overdose

Physical Description​

Estimated Age: 16-21 yrs old
Race: White
Gender: Female
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 110 lbs
Hair Color: Light brown/dark blonde hair of fine texture, 6-7 inches long.
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Possibly some Native ancestry. Slender build. Bright pink polish on her toenails and finger nails.

Identifiers​

Dentals: Available. Near perfect alignment of front teeth. Lower first molars and upper right first molar extracted in late childhood. Third molars not present (upper left impacted). No fillings or restorations. Minimal or poor dental care based on evidence of decay.
Fingerprints:Unavailable.
DNA:Available.

Clothing & Personal Items​

Clothing: Jordache jeans.
Jewelry: Five small pearl earrings in each ear.
Additional Personal Items: None listed.

Circumstances of Discovery​

The victim was located on June 16, 1987 in Toledo, Ohio, near Interstate 75. Her burning body was found in an alley near Detroit Avenue and Collingwood Boulevard.
The woman was wrapped in a tan tweed carpet and a pool cover, thrown into a bunch of weeds behind an abandoned auto body shop, and doused with gasoline. A passing motorist found her body, which was charred and decomposed beyond recognition. She probably died of a cocaine overdose several days earlier. The body showed no signs of trauma or injury besides those caused by the fire. Authorities believe those who were with her panicked and dumped her body, but investigators haven't ruled out homicide. Investigators had searched the area extensively, including the weeds and roof of the body shop. They interviewed neighbors. They tried to match their Jane Doe with women missing from other states.

Investigating Agency(s)​

Agency Name: Lucas County Coroners Office
Agency Contact Person: James Patrick
Agency Phone Number: 419-213-3900
Agency E-Mail: jpatrick(at)co.lucas.oh.us
Agency Case Number: 745605

NCIC Case Number: 448521459
NamUs Case Number: 4778
NCMEC Case Number: 1115306

Information Source(s)​

Doe Network: International Center For Missing and Unidentified Persons

Doe Network is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to bringing awareness to missing persons and unidentified persons throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Australia.

www.doenetwork.org

NamUs
NCMEC
I Care
The Cleveland Plain Dealer

#JaneDoe's burning body was found in an alley in Toledo, #OHIO on 16 June 1987. She is still UNIDENTIFIED!

Height: 5'5" Weight: 110 lbs Hair Color: Light brown/dark blonde hair of fine texture, 6-7 inches long. Eye Color: Unknown Distinguishing Marks/Features: Possibly some Native ancestry. Slender build. Bright pink polish on her toenails and finger...

www.crimewatchers.net

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Human remains found in 1987 in Toledo identified as missing Michigan woman

Ohio authorities have identified a Jane Doe, whose remains were found behind an auto repair shop in Toledo in 1987.

www.cbsnews.com

Human remains found in 1987 in Toledo identified as missing Michigan woman​

Ohio authorities have identified a Jane Doe, whose remains were found behind an auto repair shop in Toledo in 1987.

The Toledo Police Department said Thursday that the missing woman was identified as 18-year-old Tammy Lowe of Taylor, Michigan.


In October 2024, the Porchlight Project began working with Toledo police to identify the remains. The nonprofit, which provides funding for DNA testing and genetic genealogy for Ohio cold cases, funded genetic genealogy DNA testing through Othram, a laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas.

DNA testing revealed a possible relative living in Michigan. Detectives from the Ohio Bureau of Investigation, the Toledo Police Department and the Lucas County Coroner's Office found possible family members living near Detroit.

On a final DNA sample taken from a close relative, confirmed, and on March 20, Jane Doe was formally identified as Tammy Lowe.

DNA testing finds remains found in Ohio in 1987 those of missing Michigan teen, police say

A body found burned and wrapped in a cloth behind an auto repair shop in Toledo is that of Tammy Lowe, DNA testing finds.

www.detroitnews.com

DNA testing finds remains found in Ohio in 1987 those of missing Michigan teen, police say​

Recent DNA testing has determined that human remains found in Toledo, Ohio, in 1987, were those of a missing Taylor teen, police announced Tuesday.

DNA from a closely related relative confirmed that the remains belonged to 18-year-old Tammy Lowe, the Toledo Police Department said in a press release.

 

[Kimster]

Human remains found in 1987 in Toledo identified as missing Michigan woman

Ohio authorities have identified a Jane Doe, whose remains were found behind an auto repair shop in Toledo in 1987.

www.cbsnews.com

Human remains found in 1987 in Toledo identified as missing Michigan woman​

Ohio authorities have identified a Jane Doe, whose remains were found behind an auto repair shop in Toledo in 1987.

The Toledo Police Department said Thursday that the missing woman was identified as 18-year-old Tammy Lowe of Taylor, Michigan.


In October 2024, the Porchlight Project began working with Toledo police to identify the remains. The nonprofit, which provides funding for DNA testing and genetic genealogy for Ohio cold cases, funded genetic genealogy DNA testing through Othram, a laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas.

DNA testing revealed a possible relative living in Michigan. Detectives from the Ohio Bureau of Investigation, the Toledo Police Department and the Lucas County Coroner's Office found possible family members living near Detroit.

On a final DNA sample taken from a close relative, confirmed, and on March 20, Jane Doe was formally identified as Tammy Lowe.

DNA testing finds remains found in Ohio in 1987 those of missing Michigan teen, police say

A body found burned and wrapped in a cloth behind an auto repair shop in Toledo is that of Tammy Lowe, DNA testing finds.

www.detroitnews.com

DNA testing finds remains found in Ohio in 1987 those of missing Michigan teen, police say​

Recent DNA testing has determined that human remains found in Toledo, Ohio, in 1987, were those of a missing Taylor teen, police announced Tuesday.

DNA from a closely related relative confirmed that the remains belonged to 18-year-old Tammy Lowe, the Toledo Police Department said in a press release.

View attachment 24324

So young and pretty and her whole life in front of her. I wonder what she was doing in Ohio? And I don’t think she was on any national missing sites? Did her family think she was elsewhere and doing fine?

 

[Takeitfromme]

So young and pretty and her whole life in front of her. I wonder what she was doing in Ohio? And I don’t think she was on any national missing sites? Did her family think she was elsewhere and doing fine?

I thought the same thing. What an adorable girl.... so much to live for..... just great to have her name back but so sad she lost her life so young

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

A bit more info:

Michigan man uploads his DNA profile, helps find his missing aunt miles away in Ohio

He hopes telling his story will inspire other families who are trying to find their missing loved ones.

www.cleveland19.com

Michigan man uploads his DNA profile, helps find his missing aunt miles away in Ohio​

Can you help solve a cold case?

A young man with a missing aunt did just that when he uploaded his DNA profile to a public ancestry database decades later.

19 Investigates continues to shed a light on John and Jane Doe cases in our area.

This relative hopes his story will inspire other families who are trying to find their missing loved ones.

Kenny Lowe was born years after his 18-year-old aunt went missing.

But he still felt the hole her disappearance left in their family’s life.

“My dad had settled into sort of you know just the complacency where, ‘there’s nothing we can do and she’s gone,’” he said.

The details of her life hit Kenny hard.

He learned Tammy was struggling with a heroin addiction before she went missing from the Detroit area.

She was planning to move to Florida to get a fresh start with her grandmother.

But Tammy’s family heard a drug dealer in the city was holding her against her will and when her mother tried to confront him they say he threatened their family’s lives.

When they couldn’t find her, they reported her missing to police.

“So to them that was even less of a concern because to them she was just a druggie and that’s what druggies do,” Lowe said.

“She was still a kind human being and she deserved deserve to, you know, she deserved to have her life taken seriously,” he said.


Tammy disappeared in early June 1987.


Meanwhile, just an hour away in Toledo on June 16, someone found a woman’s body on fire in an alley off I-75.

Her head was covered with a plastic bag.

Toledo Police believed she was wrapped in a carpet before being set on fire.

They said she died one or two days before this from a cocaine overdose.

Police tried to connect this Jane Doe to missing persons cases and Michigan State Police made this clay reconstruction of her.

But the case went cold until decades later when Kenny, who was 22 years old at the time, took a DNA test.

The self-professed true crime fan told us he’s fascinated with solving cases.

He was also interested in learning more about his family tree.

“But then it occurred to me that I could use that, if my aunt was a Jane Doe, if they had my DNA in the database, they’d be able to link me to her and identify her. And so in 2022, I uploaded my DNA to GEDmatch and FamilyTreeDNA. Those are the sites law enforcement can access,” he said.

Meanwhile, investigators were trying to track down Toledo Jane Doe’s name with DNA technology and genealogy.

Three years later, Kenny’s dad got a call from Toledo Police.

“We believe we found your sister’s remains. And when my dad got the news, he said that if he almost fell off his chair and the wind just got right knocked right out of him,” Lowe said.

A DNA swab confirmed it.

“He was just so grateful to have to find out have that closure about his sister after all these after all these years, nearly 40 years,” he said.

 

[Kimster]

That’s a fascinating story! I’ve actually tweeted about how people can upload their DNA to find lost family members. But it’s been a while. This encourages me to do it again.