Wynona Nadine Michel Identified in 35-Year-Old Cold Case after Her Remains Were Found in 1990

In 1990, the body of a woman was discovered in a soybean field in Troy, Illinois—but no one knew who she was. 

For more than three decades, her identity remained a mystery. 

With the help of cutting-edge DNA technology and forensic genealogy, that mystery has finally been solved, and her name revealed as Wynona Nadine Michel.

This week, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the woman found dead, near Lebanon Road and Troy-O’Fallon Road in July 1990, was 30-year-old Wynona Nadine Michel from Tennessee. 

However, even though criminal investigators now know who she is, they still don’t know who killed her.

It all started on July 20, 1990, when a road maintenance crew found a woman’s body in a remote field in Troy, Illinois, about 20 miles east of St. Louis. 

She had been stabbed several times in the neck and torso, and according to DNASolves, investigators believed she had died two to three days earlier.  

Back then, there were very few clues about her real identity.

She had red or auburn hair tied in a ponytail, and was wearing a pink T-shirt with blue palm trees and the word “Florida” on it.

She was also wearing white Pebble Beach sandals, and a turquoise heart-shaped ring on her right hand. 

Even with forensic sketches and numerous appeals across the country, no one came forward to identify her. 

In 2016, she was added to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as case number UP14919.

But even with that listing, no new leads came in, and the case eventually went cold.

In 2024, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office partnered with Othram, a Texas-based lab known for its advanced Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to solve the case.

Othram then used DNA collected from the crime scene to create a genealogical profile, which helped them trace possible family members of the victim.

"Developments in science made it possible to investigate the case further," said Madison County Sheriff Jeff Connor during a press conference.  

Through genetic genealogy research, investigators were able to locate and contact members of Michel’s family. 

Using KinSNP rapid relationship testing, her identity as officially confirmed as Wynona Nadine Michel, as per Telegraph News

Michel was born on August 23, 1959, in Los Angeles, and she spent much of her life moving between Tennessee, Florida, and California. 

She had two children, one of whom is still alive, according to 5 on Yourside News

Wynona and her children before her disappearance 

In April 1990, Wynona left her children in the care of relatives in Nashville, Tennessee, before setting off on a trip.

She briefly saw them again in Washington, D.C. the following month—then disappeared without a trace.

"She dropped her children off with my brother… we didn’t think she’d come to any harm," her brother, Frank Barnard, told reporters. "My sister traveled a lot… Over the years, it got suspicious because it took so long to hear from her."

Criminal investigators also learned that Michel often traveled with truck drivers, which may hold a key to her murder.  

For Michel’s loved ones, the identification brings closure—but also anger.  

"It’s pretty devastating she was brutally murdered like that," Barnard said. "I hope they lock you up forever… It was wrong, he knew it was wrong."

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office is now focused on finding her killer.  

If you have any information about Wynona Nadine Michel’s murder, contact:  

- Madison County Sheriff’s Office: (618) 296-4433  

- Anonymous Tip Line: (618) 296-3000  

- CrimeStoppers: 866-371-TIPS (8477)  

"We want to bring some closure to Wynona’s family," said Sheriff Connor. "But we also need the public’s help to find her killer"

If you know something—say something as justice for Wynona is long overdue.