Last week, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) identified the suspect involved in a 1998 murder, as well as the remains of a woman found on the side of the road in 2018.
On May 22, 1988, Carolyn Fisher’s body was found alongside I-40 East. She was found to have been sexually assaulted prior to her death. DNA evidence collected from the scene was determined to be from the same male suspect, but no matches were reported for more than 20 years.
In 2020, MNPD Cold Case Unit Detective Curtis Hafley submitted the DNA to ancestry research databases, and a private genealogy research company discovered a potential match in 2023.
The suspect, Michael Anthony Bean, 39, was murdered on June 23, 1998, unrelated to Fisher's death. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Laboratory tested Bean's DNA, collected by the Medical Examiner's Office, against the evidence from Fisher's homicide scene and determined it was a positive match. Based on the DNA test results, it is not believed that anyone besides Bean was involved in Fisher's homicide.
Also on Wednesday, MNPD announced they identified the remains of a woman found in 2018 on the side of Sulpher Creek Road. She has now been identified as Yadezia Jones, who would have been 25 at the time of the discovery.
On Sept. 8, 2018, a motorist discovered Jones' body, which was in an advanced state of decomposition. She was wearing a black sweatshirt and athletic pants with the Vanderbilt University emblem on them.
MNPD and the Medical Examiner's Office were unable to identify the woman. The University of North Texas Center for Human Identification (UNTCHI) developed DNA profiles that were entered into a national database, but there were no matches.
In 2022, new biological samples were collected for forensic investigative genetic genealogy (FIGG). The samples were sent that same year to Othram, which developed a comprehensive DNA profile. That profile was uploaded to Family Tree DNA and GED Match Pro. In September 2025, DNA Investigative Solutions also began doing genetic genealogy research in this case. The recent identification was a result of these combined efforts.
The cause and manner of death remain undetermined. Jones, of Nashville, had no known connection to Vanderbilt.
Anyone with information regarding Jones, whose date of birth was May 24, 1993, is asked to call Cold Case Unit Detective Andrew Davis at 615-862-7720.
MNPD would like to thank retired Detective Matthew Filter, the Medical Examiner's Office, DNA Investigative Solutions, Othram Lab, University of North Texas Center for Human Identification (UNTCHI), National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the media for their assistance with this case.
Republished courtesy of MNPD