*Last Updated – June 2, 2025*
DISCOVERY:
On March 25, 2003, surveyors scouting out land for a highway bypass came across scattered skeletal remains in a drainage creek behind Alice’s Bar, in Alcoa, Blount County, Tennessee. The location, described as a small wooded area, was located near McGhee Tyson Airport, at the intersection of North Wright Road and Cusick Road.
Several years later, in December 2006, a second search of the area uncovered additional remains. It’s believed changing water levels were responsible for the bones being spread across the scene. It was also reported that the original location where the decedent was left or had died had since been determined.
AUTOPSY:
An autopsy found the decedent had passed away between eight months and four years prior to her remains being found. While a cause of death couldn’t be determined, it’s suspected to have been the result of a homicide.
DETAILS:
Jane Doe is described as an African-American female who was around 17-to-25 years old and stood between 5’4″ and 5’10”. Small black synthetic braids found at the scene are believed to have been woven into her natural hair. Given the state of the remains, her weight and eye colour couldn’t be determined.
While the decedent’s lower mandible wasn’t recovered, investigators were able to determine some basics about her dental health. Two upper left incisors had been missing for several years prior to her death, and the other top teeth protruded to the point where they were almost horizontal.
A few items of clothing were found at the scene, including a blue fleece jacket, a waistband and a sleeveless tank top with “I Don’t Need a Great Deal of Love, Just a Steady Supply” written on the front. Some of the clothing suggests she may have possibly been affiliated with the healthcare field, and while most was sold across the United States, some items were traced back to Chicago and Oak Lawn, Illinois.
Jane Doe’s DNA was uploaded into two public ancestry databases, Family Tree DNA and GEDmatch PRO, which allowed investigators to uncover the location and surnames of possible relatives. Those with the last names Jackson, Leak, Suber, Harris, Hargroves, Goins, Roach and Russell are of particular interest, especially if they live in or have family ties to the following areas: Newport News, Virginia; Moore, Forsyth and Guilford counties, North Carolina; Newberry County, South Carolina; and Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx, New York.
One theory in the case is that Jane Doe may have fallen victim to a serial killer who moonlights as a truck driver. It’s also possible she was from further north than where her remains were found.
EXCLUSIONS:
- Tonetta Yvette Carlisle, who went missing from Chattanooga, Tennessee, on March 16, 1989.
- Felicia Dishelle Coleman, who went missing from Goldsboro, North Carolina, on November 9, 2001. Her body was found a month later, but she wasn’t identified until 2021.
- Lakisha Danielle Jones, who went missing from Nashville, Tennessee, on December 14, 1999.
- Laresha Deana Walker, who went missing from Nashville, Tennessee, on November 19, 1999.
- Tabitha Watson, who went missing from Chicago, Illinois, on October 4, 2001.
CASE CONTACT INFORMATION:
Jane Doe’s dentals and DNA are available for comparison.
Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to contact the Alcoa Police Department at either (865) 380-4964 or (865) 981-4111. Tips can also be called into the Blount County Medical Examiner at (865) 981-2335 or the Forensic Anthropology Center at the University of Tennessee at (865) 974-4408.
Image Credit: NCMEC/Johanna J. Hughes
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