In December 2003, the remains of an unidentified individual were discovered in a wooded area that is frequented by hunters in Christmas, Florida. Two garbage men made the discovery while working their normal route off of Taylor Creek Road in the small community located just east of Orlando. The Orange County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene. It was determined that the remains were that of a white female who was estimated to be 5’3” tall and between 24 and 29 years old. She had brown hair and wore two clear stone post earrings, one gold-colored ring, and two bracelets. An investigation led by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office ruled the woman’s manner of death as homicide, and she became known as Christmas Jane Doe.
Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP522. Over the years, multiple women were excluded as being Christmas Jane Doe. Despite extensive efforts by law enforcement investigators to identify the woman, no matches were found, and the case went cold due to a lack of viable leads.
In March 2022, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the forensic evidence and used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the unknown woman. After successfully completing the process, the DNA profile was delivered to the FBI's forensic genetic genealogy team, who performed the necessary work to generate new investigative leads in the case.
Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted, leading investigators to potential relatives of the woman. As a result of this investigation, the woman is now known to be 26-year-old Holly Rose Leavines Garcia. At the time of her disappearance, Holly was married to Miguel Angel Garcia-Rivera. Investigators are currently searching for Miguel Angel Garcia-Rivera.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office now seeks the public's help in solving the murder of Holly Garcia. If you knew Holly or have any information about her life or the circumstances surrounding her death, please contact the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Any information could be crucial in bringing justice to Holly and closure to her family.
Funding for the advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy used in this case was provided by NamUs, a national clearinghouse that assists the criminal justice community with the investigation and resolution of missing, unidentified, and unclaimed persons cases across the United States and its territories. NamUs is funded and administered by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and is managed through a contract with Research Triangle Institute International. We are grateful for the support of RTI, NamUs, and the NIJ.
The identification of Holly Rose Leavines Garcia represents the 27th case in the State of Florida where officials have publicly identified an individual using technology developed by Othram. Most recently in Orlando, homicide victim Richard Wick, who was reported missing by his family in the early 1990’s, was identified after 31 years.
Republished courtesy of DNASolves.com