Identified! Susan Lund b. 1967, formerly Ina Jane Doe 1993
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Update: on 10/16/2023, Laurah Norton's book Lay Them to Rest: On the Road with the Cold Case Investigators Who Identify the Nameless is released. The book highlights the identification of Susan Lund AKA Ina Jane Doe as well as the work of the Redgrave Research team. This book includes many previously unreleased details about this and other cases. |
March 11, 2022
Ina Jane Doe (1993) Identified Using Forensic Genetic Genealogy
Susan Lund, missing since December 1992, identified by Redgrave Research Forensic Services and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office
MARCH 11 2022 – The Jefferson County Illinois Sheriff’s Office and Redgrave Research Forensic Services have confirmed the identity of “Ina Jane Doe,” an unidentified woman whose remains were discovered 29 years ago.
Susan Lund, born 29 Nov 1967, was last seen by her family on Christmas Eve of 1992 when she reportedly left her family home in Clarksville, Tennessee to walk to a local grocery store. Her husband reported her missing soon after. A multi-agency search was conducted over several months. The official missing persons case was closed, but Sue’s family did not stop looking for her.
On January 27, 1993, near the town of Ina, Illinois, the head of a white female was discovered on the side of a wooded roadway within Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park. The original anthropological analysis estimated that the victim was between 30 and 50 years of age, and may have had torticollis or “wry neck syndrome,” a condition that may have caused her head to have a sideways tilt during life. The original forensic images of the deceased woman illustrated this condition to an extreme degree.
In February 2021, Dr. Amy Michael (Assistant Professor of Anthropology, University of New Hampshire) approached Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office to offer a reexamination of the case using updated forensic methods. Writer and researcher Laurah Norton collaborated with Dr. Michael on the reanalysis and archival research. It was determined that the woman likely did not appear significantly asymmetrical during life. Following Dr. Michael’s reanalysis, a new forensic image was created by artist Carl Koppelman. “As forensic methods are updated and refined, it is critical to reevaluate cold cases and utilize new approaches, like forensic genetic genealogy, alongside anthropology to achieve identification,” says Dr. Michael.
Simultaneous to this new analysis, samples from Ina Jane Doe’s remains were sent to Astrea Forensics, a laboratory in Santa Cruz, California, for the purpose of creating a DNA profile suitable for utilizing forensic genetic genealogy. A DNA profile was provided to Redgrave Research Forensic Services, a genealogy company in Massachusetts, who then uploaded the data file to GEDmatch on February 3, 2022. Anthony Redgrave, co-founder of Redgrave Research, says “my team was honored to be brought in as part of the collaboration to identify this woman, and had Susan’s family in mind long before we discovered her name.”
Redgrave’s genealogy team arrived at a potential match within a day of beginning to research the DNA matches. The potential ID was passed to law enforcement who then followed up with family members of Susan Lund. A confirmatory DNA sample was provided by a sibling for direct comparison to Ina Jane Doe. On March 6, 2022 it was confirmed via one-to-one comparison that the identity of Ina Jane Doe is Susan Lund.
The collaborating investigators, scientists, and genealogists extend their deepest sympathies to Sue’s family and friends. Any information about the the actions and/or whereabouts of Susan Lund on or following December 24, 1992 should be directed to Detective Captain Bobby Wallace at the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office at (618) 244-8004 or email bwallace@jeffil.us.
Acknowledgments:
Research and Team Co-Lead: Laurah Norton
Lead Forensic Genetic Genealogists: Anthony Redgrave, Lee Bingham Redgrave
Genealogy Team: Kaycee Connelly, Samantha Dunne, Chelsea Hanrahan, Andrea McCarthy, Elizabeth Marshall, Pam Stigsen, Viktor Veltstra
Genealogical Database and tools: GEDmatch, DNAPainter
Forensic Art: Carl Koppelman
DNA processing: Kelly Harkins Kincaid and Astrea Forensics
Anthropology: Dr. Amy Michael, University of New Hampshire; Kyana Burgess, Audrey Waterman, and Ashanti Maronie, University of New Hampshire; Dr. Samantha Blatt, Idaho State University; Dr. Steffen Poltak; Dr. Andrew Albee, Suncook Dental; Hubbard Center for Genomic Studies, University of New Hampshire
WSIL Livestream Coverage (Facebook Live)
Case Announcement: January 18, 2022
On January 27,1993, near the town of Ina, Illinois, the decapitated head of a presumed white female was discovered on the side of a wooded roadway within Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park. The victim, estimated to have been 30-50 years old at the time of her death, had likely died 2-3 days prior to discovery. She had long, reddish hair and a pin-shaped mole in her left ear. She’d had extensive dental work, including a silver point filling, and she had possibly worn braces at one point. The victim had skeletal asymmetry that, in life, may have been visible in her facial features. Additionally, she may have experienced issues with her neck.
Illinois’ Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has investigated the victim’s homicide and worked to identify her for more than two decades. Recently, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has pursued new avenues of identification of the victim known as “Ina Jane Doe,” including anthropological re-analysis from University of New Hampshire assistant professor Dr. Amy Michael, DNA extraction and sequencing by Astrea Labs, and forensic genetic genealogy by Redgrave Research Forensic Services. New forensic art has been prepared by Carl Koppelman to reflect updated findings.
Anyone with information about this female’s identification and/or this investigation please contact Detective Captain Bobby Wallace at the Sheriff’s Office (618)244-8004 or Crimestoppers at (618)242-TIPS (8477).
Read more about Susan Lund
- ‘I always assumed she was still alive’: Clarksville mother’s remains identified after 30 years
- “Ina Jane Doe” identified after nearly 30 years with forensic evidence
- “INA JANE DOE” ID’D AS MISSING TENNESSEE WOMAN
- 1993 Jefferson County murder victim identified
- 30 Years After Remains Found In IL State Park, Missing Mom ID’d
- A Tenn. woman went missing nearly three decades ago. Authorities now say a head found in another state was hers.
- Authorities to release new developments in 1993 southern Illinois unsolved murder
- Clarksville Police Department reports Remains Found in Illinois Identified as Susan Lund
- Clarksville woman missing for 30 years, identified in 6 hours with forensic technology
- Cold case reopened: Mother of 3 identified as 1993 Southern Illinois murder victim | Crime/Courts
- Decapitated Head Found in Illinois in 1993 Identified As Tennessee Woman Who Disappeared a Month Earlier
- Decapitated head found in park ID’d as missing woman
- DNA leads to identity of ‘Ina Jane Doe’ found decapitated in Illinois park in 1992
- DNA leads to identity of ‘Ina Jane Doe’ found decapitated in Illinois park in 1992
- Forensic researchers, law enforcement ID ‘Ina Jane Doe’ in 30-year-old cold case
- Head found in woods belongs to Tennessee woman missing 30 years
- Head found nearly 30 years ago in Illinois identified as remains of missing Tennessee woman
- Head in Forest Solves Cold Case of Mom Who Vanished on Christmas Eve 1992
- Illinois remains identified as woman missing from Clarksville since 1992
- Ina Jane Doe (Doe Network)
- Ina Jane Doe (Illinois State Police)
- Ina Jane Doe (NamUS)
- Ina Jane Doe (Unidentified Wiki)
- Ina Jane Doe Press Conference (9 AM CST/10 AM EST)
- Investigators trying to ID 1993 southern Ill. homicide victim
- Investigators: Decapitated head found at Illinois park ID’d as missing Tennessee woman
- Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office renewing efforts to identify 1993 murder victim
- MISSING WOMAN LINKED TO 30-YEAR-OLD COLD CASE
- NEARLY 30 YEARS AFTER HER DISAPPEARANCE, THE IDENTITY OF ‘INA JANE DOE’ REVEALED AS A MOTHER FROM TENNESSEE DURING FRIDAY PRESS CONFERENCE WITH THE JEFFERSON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
- Remains of Clarksville’s Susan Lund, missing since 1992, identified in Illinois
- Remains of Clarksville’s Susan Lund, missing for 29 years, identified
- Remains of Clarksville’s Susan Lund, missing for 29 years, identified
- Remains of young Clarksville mom Susan Lund, missing since 1992, identified in Illinois
- Severed Head Found In The Illinois Woods Identified As That Of A Tennessee Mom Who Disappeared In 1992
