Remains found nearly 40 years ago identified as Arlington mother
(Source: KLTV)
ARLINGTON, Texas - The person at the center of an almost 40-year-old mystery was discovered to be an Arlington woman, thanks to DNA testing and genealogy.
The DNA Doe Project says that a Jane Doe found in October 1985 has been identified as Sindy Gina Crow.
Crow's skeletal remains were found by a highway mowing crew in a brush-covered gully on the south side of I-20 in Smith County. The nonprofit says that investigators felt her body had been purposefully concealed and had been in that gully for 12 to 15 months.
A t-shirt near the body had an insignia that said "Top Rail Country Music Dallas, Texas."
(Source: KLTV)
"Multiple leads in the last 38 years failed to identify the young female," Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith said at a Tuesday press conference.
Her case went cold until 2021, when the Smith County Sheriff's Office partnered with the DNA Doe Project to identify the remains.
The nonprofit uses investigative genetic genealogy to identify John and Jane Does and says it has helped in more than 100 cases of unidentified human remains to date.
A forensic assessment concluded the skeletal remains belonged to a white/Caucasian woman between 20 and 25 years old with reddish brown hair tied in a ponytail. She was estimated to be 5'5" to 5'7" and between 110 and 125 lbs.
DNA Doe Project looks to identify the yet-unidentified
There are more than 50,000 unidentified sets of human remains in the U.S. In this "Missing in Texas," FOX 7 Austin's Angela Shen takes a look at the DNA Doe Project, a nonprofit dedicated to identifying the numerous John and Jane Does across the country.
A DNA profile was produced and then uploaded to GEDmatch Pro and FTDNA, two consumer websites that allow law enforcement cases. From there, the DNA matches were analyzed and DNA Doe Project volunteers built a family tree.
The DDP found a possible lead for the identity of the woman in November 2023.
DNA was gathered from possible family members. The evidence was examined at UNT Fort Worth and identified as Sindy Gina Crow.
She was married and had a daughter in July 1984. Her last address was listed in Arlington.
"We feel that it is our obligation that she gets a proper burial," said Smith.
The woman's husband is now deceased, and her daughter is living in Alabama.
Investigators spoke to Crow's father who has gone years without any answers.
"He said she hitchhiked all the time, and he felt like Ted Bundy got her," said Detecive David Turner.
The cause of death is still unknown at this time.
FOX 7 Austin and KLTV contributed to this report