Credit: DASO
DNA extracted from the femur bone of human remains found in 1985 has given 16-year-old Dorothy Harrison back her name, and became the first—of what police hope is many—genetic genealogy-enabled identification for the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office in New Mexico.
On March 10, 1985, the Doña Ana County New Mexico Sheriff’s Office (DASO) received a call from local hunters regarding possible human remains found off Interstate 25. The remains were believed to be a white female estimated to have been between 16-19 years old at the time of her death, approximately 5’2 inches tall with blonde to light brown hair and wearing a Wilson-branded sports jersey.
Investigators quickly deduced the female likely died 3 to 6 months prior to being located, placing her estimated date of death between Sept. 10, 1984 and Jan. 10, 1985. Leads were followed, including examining numerous missing persons’ cases, but the cold ultimately went cold.
Thirty-six years later, in March 2021, DASO detective Melissa Agullo was asked to look at the case with the hope that new technology and investigative tools could provide a lead.
With support from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), Agullo submitted the left femur bone of the then-unidentified teen to Astrea Forensics, whose proprietary technology specializes in extracting complex and miniscule amounts of DNA from bones and rootless hair.
The forensic lab did just that—extracting and analyzing DNA from approximately 155 milligrams of bone powder. The DNA results were then submitted to Innovative Forensics Investigations, who built out a genealogical family tree that pointed to Harrison.
“It’s a very proud moment for the Sheriff’s department for not giving up on this case. We like to think that’s our motto, as well,” said Ed Green, co-founder of Astrea Forensics. “Every sample, every case is incredibly important and often difficult for reasons we may not have anticipated. We like to not give up, take what we have and make an identification.”
Harrison lived with her family in Wichita, Kansas. Agullo’s timeline has the teen leaving home on July 25, 1984, which was not unusual for her. She would often leave for days at a time, but was never believed to have left the state of Kansas. This time was different. In August, Harrison called home to say she was in Los Angles, and then in early September, called to say she was in El Paso, Texas on her way back to Wichita. That was the last time anyone heard from Harrison, before her remains were found in Dona Ana County, New Mexico, approximately 50 miles north of El Paso in March.
“Dorothy was a typical teenager; she was only 16 years old when this horrific crime happened to her. Like most teens she was sometimes unhappy at home and easily influenced. She left home with some people she thought were her friends and we never saw her again,” the teen’s family said in a statement.
Sheriff Kim Stewart confirmed Harrison’s case is being investigated as a homicide. In fact, just two days ago, investigators advanced the case when geographic information system (GIS) mapping revealed a more accurate location regarding where Harrison’s body was found.
“In these number of years, all sorts of technology have improved, and given us better access,” she said. “Now we have a very, very specific location- we’re looking at it more accurately than ever before. We hope this, along with her photo and pictures of her clothing, will ring a bell with someone who is still alive. We’re hopeful this will provide new leads, and we will follow them where they take us.”
Stewart also confirmed DASO is using genetic genealogy on other cold cases “as we speak,” and encouraged smaller jurisdictions to reach out if they need help with their cases.