Remains of 'Apache Junction Jane Doe' identified, group announces
APACHE JUNCTION, Ariz. - Officials with a group called "DNA Doe Project" announced on Nov. 16 that the mystery surrounding the Apache Junction Jane Doe case has finally been solved.
In a statement, officials announce that they have identified the remains of the female as that of Melody Harrison.
We have reported on the Apache Junction Jane Doe case in recent years. In our August 2021 report, it was reported that a body was discovered by a man who was walking his dog in a rural area of Pinal County, near the intersection of Idaho Road and Baseline.
The body was discovered in August 1992, two months after Harrison was reported as missing.
"She was a freshman at South Mountain High School," said Apache Junction Police Chief Mike Pooley. "That’s 40-plus miles from where her residence was."
An autopsy at the time failed to determine the cause of death, but investigators believe the body was in the area for nearly five weeks before the discovery was made.
The missing person was previously described as possibly a half-Hispanic, a quarter African American and a quarter white, likely in the age range of 16 to 18 when she died. The description is based on a DNA profile that was developed after her death.
By 2021, investigators have identified close relatives of the missing person, and in 2022, we reported that Apache Junction Police and the DNA Doe Project have partnered up to uncover her identity.
Officials detail challenges in identifying Harrison
AJ officials react to identification of Jane Doe
It was a mystery that persisted for decades, and on Nov. 16, officials announce they have identified a woman who was known for quite some time as 'Apache Junction Jane Doe.' The woman, now identified as Melody Harrison, was found dead in 1992. FOX 10's Brian Webb spoke with officials on the latest developments.
According to the statement released by DNA Doe Project officials, it took five years, in addition to help from over a dozen volunteer investigative genetic genealogists to find a breakthrough in the case.
Also Read: What is genetic genealogy?
Stephanie Bourgeois has been on the case since 2008.
"It’s just been good to be able to tell the family where their daughter is," said Bourgeois. "I know it’s not closure, but it’s a peace of mind."
Genealogists at the DNA Doe Project painstakingly backfilled Harrison's family tree, closing in on one cousin at a time.
"This is the closest that we’ve been," said Cairenn Binder, a genealogist with the DNA Doe Project. "We’ve been working on this case for a really long time."
Investigators also noted that the process of identifying Harrison was complicated by adoptions, as well as Harrison's relatives. Some of her relatives, according to investigators, were of Mexican and African American descent, and both populations are underrepresented in DNA databases.
Investigators also noted that the process of identifying Harrison was complicated by adoptions, as well as Harrison's relatives. Some of her relatives, according to investigators, were of Mexican and African American descent, and both populations are underrepresented in DNA databases.
In all, it took five years to connect the dots and crack the case.