Authorities in North Carolina have finally identified the woman whose remains were discovered 33 years ago beside a highway. The Orange County Sheriff's Office in North Carolina used a hair sample and assistance from a genealogist to determine that the victim was Lisa Coburn Kesler, a 20-year-old woman from Georgia. They believe she was strangled to death in September 1990 and her body was left on Interstate 40 East near Exit 263 in North Carolina a week later.
At the time of her death, Dr. John Butts, who issued Kesler's death certificate, couldn't determine the exact cause of death as DNA technology was still in its early stages. The sheriff's office shared that while DNA could confirm someone's identity or involvement in a crime, it couldn't identify an unknown person back then.
Detectives had initially used various methods, including facial reconstruction and social media, to identify the Jane Doe but faced challenges until recently. Investigator Dylan Hendricks took over the case in 2020 and collaborated with forensic genealogist Leslie Kaufman to identify Kesler through her relatives.
Kaufman interviewed Kesler's paternal cousins, and DNA from a maternal relative helped confirm her identity. It was revealed that her family hadn't been in contact with her for three decades.
Now that Kesler's remains have been identified, investigators are turning their attention to finding her killer. North Carolina has no statute of limitations on murder, and the sheriff's office is determined to use the same dedication and methods to identify a suspect.
Sheriff Charles Blackwood expressed his satisfaction at finally solving the mystery of Kesler's identity and hopes it brings closure to her family.
In another development, Rex Heuermann, the suspect in the Gilgo Beach killings, has requested the court to return over 280 seized firearms from his home so he can sell them to support his family while he's in jail. See detailed story here
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