Sheriff's Office releases new 'Jane Doe' images

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office has released new computer-generated images of a woman, known only as Jane Doe, who was found dead on February 6, 2007.

The woman’s bones were discovered in a wooded area 50 yards south of 5438 Ashton Court in Sarasota. An investigation determined the human remains, which were buried in a shallow grave, were of a woman who had been dead for up to a year. The manner or cause of death has not been released.

The new images were created by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office with the use of craniofacial reconstruction software. The victim was a white female in her thirties or forties, 5 feet 4 inches to 5 feet 9 inches tall, 145 to 165 pounds, with long brown hair and blonde streaks. Her eye color could not be determined and may be different than what is depicted.

The skeletal analysis indicated the victim may have fractured her nose and right wrist at some point in her life. She had breast implants that were manufactured before the issuance of serial numbers.

An analysis of the victim’s teeth, bone and hair is being performed to understand water consumption and diet to determine in which areas of the country she may have lived. Tooth enamel can determine where a person was raised, and bone samples can identify where someone lived in the last seven to ten years before death. Hair also provides information about where a person lived in the few months prior to death. All of this information will be synthesized by the University of South Florida.

Detectives and crime scene investigators have tried to identify the woman for seven years. Her DNA profile is in the CODIS database and her dental profile is in the NCIC/FCIC database. The previous sketch based on the FBI facial reconstruction has been distributed internationally and her information is in state and national missing persons databases and web sites.

Anyone with information on this case, or anyone who knows someone who disappeared prior to February 2007 who matches this physical description, is asked to call Criminal Investigations at 861-4900 or contact Crime Stoppers at 366-TIPS (8477).

Residents can also go online at www.sarasotacrimestoppers.com

Contact Nolan Peterson at [email protected]