Girl missing for 43 years finally identified
An American murder victim known for 43 years as Jane Doe #40 has been identified by investigators as 14-year-old Judy Gifford, who disappeared at the age of 14.
The breakthrough came after homicide cold case detectives and missing person investigators launched a joint investigation in early 2019.
Reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, in a tragic turn of events, investigators shared that Ms Gifford’s aunt kept the same phone number for decades in case her niece attempted to get in touch.
What remained of the teenager was discovered by a man walking his dog near San Francisco’s Lake Merced on October 1, 1976. Police found a gold chain with an owl pendant in the girl’s pocket.
While sifting through unsolved cases, investigators stumbled upon a report filed in 2017 that said Ms Gifford had disappeared in San Francisco around the same time that Jane Doe #40 was killed in 1976, said San Francisco police.
The missing girl’s half-brother, William Shin, reported his sister missing to San Francisco police at an unknown date after he “remembered having a sister when he was a child”, said a New Jersey State Police spokesperson.
“He told investigators that his sister went missing when she was 14 years old, and his family had not seen or heard from her since 1976.”
Back in June, detectives collected cheek swabs from Ms Gifford’s paternal aunt, Ogee Gifford along with photographs and dental records.
That’s when they had an epiphany, as Ms Gifford was wearing a necklace with an owl pendant in some of the photos. They then compared her DNA with Jane Doe #40’s and got a perfect match.
“(Ogee) Gifford, who has never changed her phone number in case her niece ever called, was brought some closure as a result of the joint effort,” said police in a statement.
Investigators have reopened a murder inquiry into Ms Gifford’s death.