Description
On October 12, 1988 a hunter discovered human skeletal remains adjacent to I-196 near CR 378 in Covert Township, near the town of Covert, MI. It is estimated the victim died (or was placed at the location) without clothes three months to a year prior to being found.
Forensic investigators determined the remains were of a White/Caucasian female, approximately 5′ tall and weighing around 100 pounds. The deceased was between 15 and 40 years and had light brown to blond shoulder-length hair, possibly wavy. During autopsy the anthropologist discovered the remains show signs of Osteopenia, which is a precursor to Osteoporosis, and shows up in younger women. Investigators believe the woman had given birth to at least one child.
NamUs ID: UP6653
Date Body Found: October 12, 1988
Race: White/Caucasian
Gender: Female
Estimated Age: 15-40
Estimated PMI: 3 months
Location: Covert Township, MI
Agency of Jurisdiction
Michigan State Police, Special Investigation Section
Scott Ernstes, Detective Sergeant
269-657-5551
Links to More Information
https://www.namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/6653/
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/730ufmi.html
https://fox17online.com/2018/06/05/photos-police-seek-help-identifying-196-jane-found-dead-in-1988-near-covert/
https://wwmt.com/news/local/michigan-state-police-trying-new-approach-to-identify-a-jane-doe-found-in-1988
Status: Identified
November 22, 2019: Michigan State Police announced today the identity of I-196 Jane Doe as Marcia Kaylynn Bateman of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. DNA Doe Project (DDP) had been working closely with the Special Investigation Section of the Paw Paw Post of MSP since mid-July 2019 to identify the deceased through genetic genealogy using a DNA profile obtained through Bode Technology. An identification was made two weeks later, and ultimately confirmed through DNA testing of relatives.
When she was last seen, Marcia was 28-years-old and had been living on the streets. She was also known to travel to the Dallas, Texas, and Los Angeles, California, areas to visit family and friends, and may have been to these cities before she disappeared. She was reported missing by her family in August 1988. She hadn’t been seen since May of that year.
Detectives with the Paw Paw Post are conducting interviews to try to determine what happened to Marcia and just how and why she ended up in Covert Township near Interstate 196 near Covert, Michigan.
For more information about Marcia’s identification:
https://wkmi.com/van-buren-county-i-196-jane-doe-has-been-identified/
https://www.wsjm.com/2019/11/22/1988s-i-196-jane-identified-as-missing-oklahoma-city-woman/
https://www.abc57.com/news/i-196-jane-cold-case-victim-found-in-1988-has-been-identified
Image Credit: Michigan State Police
Last Updated: August 6, 2020
