15-year-old found dead in river 45 years ago, MO deputies say. Now she’s identified
The body of 15-year-old girl found in the Mississippi River in 1978 has been identified, Missouri officials said.
“Jane Doe” was found dead near Elsberry, Missouri, according to an April 1 news release by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
An autopsy was performed and revealed the cause of death as drowning, officials said. There weren’t any signs of trauma, and the manner of death was “undetermined.”
At the time, officials thought the woman was between the ages of 30 and 40 and had died four months before being found, deputies said.
She was wearing a cat’s eye ring and had the word “Dee” tattooed on her forearm, deputies said.
In October 2023, her remains were exhumed, and anthropology faculty and students with Southeast Missouri State University did a dental analysis that showed the woman was actually a teenager at the time of her death, deputies said.
After extracting DNA, a genetic profile was created for Jane Doe, and the coroner found a person who had a matching description of the girl who went missing in 1977, officials said.
Then, through familial DNA, officials were able to identify Jane Doe as 15-year-old Helen Renee Groomes, deputies said.
Investigators believe Groomes was last seen in Ottumwa, Iowa.
Anyone with information related to the case is asked to call 641-226-3360, deputies said.
Elsberry is about a 220-mile drive east of Kansas City.
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