How new technology helped identify a woman killed and buried near the Everglades 46 years ago

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. – After 46 years of mystery, investigators have identified the name of a woman whose remains were found near a remote dirt road. Using modern DNA technology, investigators determined she was Joan Shirley Joyce Waters, who was killed in 1978 just a half-mile south of Alligator Alley in Collier County.

Othram

The woman’s skeletal remains were discovered in a shallow grave by blunt force trauma. The case had stalled due to a lack of evidence until advances in forensic genealogy allowed for a breakthrough.

“We created a DNA profile and used that profile for what is called forensic genetic genealogy,” said David Mittelman, CEO of Othram, whose company specializes in forensics.

Mittelman explained, “Her living relatives today… If anyone even remotely related to her is in a database, we can piece together the clues from public records, family trees and genetic profiles.”

Mahmoud Bennett

Thanks to the cooperation between Othram, the FBI and the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, Joan Waters’ family was able to be tracked down, even though she was not reported missing.

Detective William Still of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office said he was speaking with Joan Waters’ sibling when the connection was made.
“And he had no contact with her sister and didn’t know what had happened. The last time he saw her was in the early 1970s,” Still said.

Despite the identification of Joan Waters, Detective Still said the case remains open while work is carried out to identify the person responsible for Joan’s murder.

Mahmoud Bennett

“I can tell you that this person is no longer a threat. The person we are looking at right now is dead,” Detective Still said. “But there is still a little bit of work to do before we can say the case is finally solved,” he added.

In the meantime, Othram is uncovering new cases every week. The exact circumstances of Joan’s death may never be known, but Mittelman says helping identify the victims gives the family some closure.

“It’s terrible to die and be murdered, but it’s even worse when the family doesn’t even know that something happened to you,” Mittelman said. He added: “It means a lot to us to be able to provide answers, even if we can’t change the situation.”