4 days ago
Body found 30 years ago in Atlanta identified as 15-year-old girl
A young woman's body found 30 years ago now has a name.
Othram Inc., a forensic testing agency, identified Kiyona Arnold as the Jane Doe found in April 1995 behind a vacant house.
The Fulton County Medical Examiner's office confirmed that Kiyona was recently identified through DNA testing. The autopsy report said the cause and manner of her death remain undetermined.
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She was found in a shallow Atlanta grave in the 300 block of Atwood Street by a group of children, according to the Othram report. At the time of her discovery, Kiyona would have been only 15.
The medical examiner's office said Atlanta's homicide unit was notified of Kiyona's identification, and Detective Summer Benton will lead the case.
The investigators said they think the woman died only days before her body was discovered. The autopsy report listed her cause and manner of death as undetermined.
Kiyona was found wearing a light blue short-sleeved button-up blouse and jeans. The medical examiner's office at the time estimated her age as between 18 and 28 years old.
Investigators suspected that she may have died of an overdose, as the house that she was discovered behind was used for the making of illicit narcotics, the Othram report said. However, the autopsy said that her drug screen came back negative.
Investigators said they suspected that she may have been from the Adamsville area in Atlanta.
For about 30 years, law enforcement tried to find out the young woman's identity, including through fingerprints and composite drawings, but the case went cold.
Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office partnered with Othram in 2022 to see if the young woman's body could be identified. A crowdfunding initiative covered the expenses in the case.
A woman came forward as a potential relative, and the Jane Doe's DNA profile confirmed the relationship.
Kiyona's identification is the 23nd case in Georgia where officials have publicly identified an individual using Othram's technology.
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