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Jane Doe of Erie County (1988) is now identified

Summary

In March 1989, the remains of an unidentified individual were discovered at Kensington Avenue and Pauline Place in Buffalo, New York. Buffalo is located in western New York State, on the eastern edge of Lake Erie. The Buffalo Police Department responded to the scene. The remains were determined to be those of a female, who was likely of Native American or Hispanic descent. The woman was between 20 and 25 years old, 5’11” tall, and weighed 100 pounds. At the time of the woman’s discovery, she was wearing a “Coqui” brand tracksuit with blue pants and a blue and gray striped long-sleeved top labeled “zipcode.” Under the pants was a pair of medium-sized white thermal underwear.

In July 2014, details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) under the case number UP12703. Despite extensive efforts by law enforcement investigators to identify the woman, no matches were found and the case fell into disuse due to a lack of viable leads.

In 2022, the Buffalo Police Department 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 create a complete DNA profile of the woman. Once the process was successfully completed, the DNA profile was turned over to the FBI’s Forensic Genetic Genealogy Team, who performed the necessary work to generate new investigative leads in the case.

With this new information, further investigation was conducted, leading investigators to identify potential relatives of the woman. This investigation positively identified the woman as Sonya Yvette Archie. Sonya was last seen in September 1988 and was subsequently reported missing. If you have any information about Sonya Yvette Archie, please contact the Buffalo Police Department Homicide and Cold Case Unit at 716-851-4511. You can also use the confidential helpline at 716-847-2255.

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 in investigating and resolving missing, unidentified, and unclaimed persons cases in the United States and its territories. NamUs is funded and administered by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and managed through a contract with Research Triangle Institute International. We are grateful for the support of RTI, NamUs, and NIJ.

Sonya Yvette Archie’s identification marks the ninth instance in New York state where authorities have publicly identified an individual using technology developed by Othram. Most recently, in Suffolk County, New York, Lucie Van Heeckeren, whose remains were discovered on a bike path, was identified after a decade.


Michael Vogen

Michael Vogen

Director of Case Management

2829 Technology Forest Blvd Suite 100, The Woodlands, Texas 77381

[email protected]

Michael works with law enforcement agencies in the United States and Canada on “unsolvable” cases that can benefit from advanced DNA testing methods. He helps these agencies use cutting-edge DNA sequencing and new forensic techniques to develop investigative leads for their cases.