In February 2017, DNA Doe Project’s co-founder Margaret Press was newly retired from her tech job and had moved across the country to be closer to her daughter, settling in California. She was looking forward to some peace and quiet, to spend time doing genealogy and reading. Within her stack of books was Sue Grafton’s Q is for Quarry. At the end of the book was an author’s note about the case that inspired the story, a Jane Doe found in an abandoned quarry near Lompoc, California. In that moment, Margaret had an epiphany that would change the course of her retirement and help launch the most impactful new investigative tool available to investigators – genetic genealogy could be used to identify unknown remains. On impulse, she reached out to Sue Grafton. The next day, she got a reply – this was a new way to approach the case. Sue was intrigued but on a deadline for her latest book.
Jane Doe’s remains had been buried in 1969 after authorities exhausted all leads and failed to identify her. In 2001, while she was writing Q is for Quarry, Sue Grafton funded an exhumation in order for the local medical examiner to collect a sample for DNA and to have a forensic artist develop a facial reconstruction. The next year, the book came out, and Sheriff’s Detective Bill Turner, who had been on the case since 1969, retired. In 2006, he updated Grafton’s fans – there were no new leads to Jane Doe’s identity.
Fast forward to 2017, when soon after the conversations between Margaret and Sue started, a group of investigators were closing in on Joseph DeAngelo, the Golden State Killer, using the same genetic genealogy techniques. Margaret and Colleen Fitzpatrick had formed the DNA Doe Project the same year and taken on several cases, including what would be the first announced identification of a forensic case in 2018 – Marcia King, formerly known as Buckskin Girl. Sadly, Sue Grafton passed away in December, 2017.
Officials with the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office had never replied to Margaret’s inquiries about the Lompoc case.
In 2024, Executive Director of Case Management Jennifer Randolph was approached by a private citizen who was willing to fund an exhumation so DNA Doe Project could attempt IGG on this case. When she contacted the Santa Barbara Sheriff about this, she learned that a DNA profile was already in the hands of the FBI’s IGG team. But, there was a hitch. Due to their large caseload, this case would be a low priority and It would likely be another year before they could even start the work. Jennifer mentioned that a DDP team could begin right away, if they wanted to try. Before the year’s end, Lompoc Jane Doe’s case had come full circle, from inspiring Margaret’s passion in 2017 to becoming DNA Doe Project’s 241st case.
We look forward to finally sending her home.