Watch CBS News

New Evidence Suggests Ohio's 'Jane Doe' May Have Been From NY, Northeast

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Authorities in Ohio have made a new discovery in a 35-year-old homicide case involving an unidentified woman.

The woman, dubbed "Jane Doe," or the "Buckskin Girl" was found dead in a ditch near Troy, Ohio on April 24, 1981, according to officials. The woman had wounds to her head and was discovered less than two days after she died.

The case sparked several theories surrounding the woman's mysterious death, including one speculating that the woman was murdered by an unidentified serial killer who preyed on women in the surrounding area during the 80s and 90s.

The woman was found wearing bell bottom jeans, a brown turtleneck and a buckskin jacket, from which the woman's nickname was coined.

Recent lab results from a round of tests on the woman's clothing revealed bits of pollen native to the northeast -- including areas in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Rhode Island, officials said. High levels of soot were also found on the victim's clothes, making it possible that the woman was also in an urban or industrial area, or spent time hitchhiking before her death.

Pollen native to the southwest was also found on the woman's outer jacket, according to the report.

The woman was believed to be in her teens or early 20s at the time of her death. The Miami County Sheriff's office has released updated composites of what the woman may have looked like, which can be viewed above.

The Miami County Sheriff's office is asking anyone with information to call (937) 440-3865.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.