After She Disappeared, Her Family Received A Cryptic Phone Call From A Stranger Who Simply Stated That She Was Dead: Now, Investigators Need Help Solving Her Murder
Back in December of 1993, while a few landscapers were working in Centreville, Virginia, they discovered the skeletal remains of a woman in a shallow grave. Authorities were immediately alerted, and detectives went to analyze the scene.
There, they found various pieces of evidence thought to have belonged to the unknown woman– including deteriorated clothing, jewelry, a yellow barrette, and a red comb.
Afterward, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy and determined that the woman had suffered several stab wounds to her upper body.
It was also revealed that Jane Doe was between twenty-eight and thirty-nine years old and stood between five foot and five foot three.
She had dirty blonde hair, which was described as relatively thick, and particularly poor dental care– since many of the woman’s teeth were suffering an advanced state of decay.
And over the years since the victim was discovered, there have been fervent national and local efforts to identify her.
She was covered by various news outlets, featured on an episode of The New Detectives in 1996, and a Cold Case Files episode entitled “A Knock at the Door.”
Investigators, too, attempted to pursue several leads regarding the woman’s identity. Smithsonian anthropologists examined her body, and her case was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) in 2011.
Fairfax County Police Department; pictured above is a sketch of the young woman, along with some things that were found along with her
In spite of these widespread efforts, though, the woman’s identity remained a puzzling mystery for decades, and her case eventually turned cold.
But that was until this year when the Fairfax County Police Department partnered up with Othram– the first private laboratory specializing in forensic genealogy to solve disappearances and murders and determine the identity of unidentified victims.
The woman’s skeletal remains were sent to the lab, where they developed a DNA extract. Then, genealogists used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing to construct a comprehensive DNA profile.
This profile helped Othram’s team generate various investigative leads, which were then returned to local law enforcement.
And after Major Crimes Bureau Cold Case Squad detectives followed up on these leads, they found potential relatives.
Finally, using confirmatory DNA testing, the woman’s identity was determined to be Sharon Kay Abbot Lane.
Sharon’s friends and family had last heard from her around 1987. Then, between three and four years later, her late father received a cryptic anonymous phone call from a woman. The woman just stated that his daughter was dead.
Sharon would have been thirty-four years old in December 1993 when her remains were found.
“The tragic death of Sharon Kay Abbott Lane is now closer to being solved with the help of advanced DNA testing. Our detectives will use this new information to continue to seek justice for the victim in this case,” Major Ed O’Carroll of the major Crimes, Cyber and Forensics Bureau said in a press release published on Facebook.
Fairfax County Police Department; pictured above is a photo of Sharon
O’Carroll also underscored how anyone who might have known Sharon or her associates is urged to contact authorities. You can submit an anonymous tip via Crime Solvers by phone at (866) 411-8477 or by visiting the link here.
Anonymous tipsters are eligible for cash rewards between one hundred and one thousand dollars.
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