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The remains of an elderly woman discovered over 35 years ago along a state highway in Pinal County, have been identified as those of a Scottsdale grandmother. Authorities believe her killer likely benefited financially from her death.
Evelyn "Dottie" Lees, who was 88 or 89 years old, has been identified as the woman whose remains were found on June 28, 1988, in a remote area of Pinal County along State Route 79, just south of Interstate 60, according to the county sheriff's office. Lees was buried in a concealed grave and is believed to have died a year prior, with evidence suggesting she was likely strangled, the agency reported.
"For an elderly grandmother to be the victim of a violent crime, and then to remain unidentified for 36 years is a tragedy," Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb said in a Facebook post. "We are grateful to the DNA Doe Project, its donors, and Dr. Bruce Anderson with the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner who all helped give this woman some peace in death."
Lees' surviving relatives have been notified. Originally from Salt Lake City, she was born around 1898, according to the DNA Doe Project.
The sheriff's office reported that Lees was never reported missing, and no death certificate exists for her. Investigators believe she may have been a victim of pension fraud, with evidence indicating that suspects, now deceased, continued collecting her benefits for nearly a decade after her death.
According to the sheriff's office, Lees was identified through the efforts of the DNA Doe Project, a nonprofit that employs private DNA labs and genetic genealogists. After limited resources had initially stalled the investigation, the organization assisted with the costly work on this cold case. Dr. Anderson, who has been involved since Lees' remains were first recovered, reached out to the DNA Doe Project for help last year, the nonprofit reported.
Before her identification, Lees was referred to by the DNA Doe Project as "Florence Junction Clandestine Grave Jane Doe 1988," named for the year and the nearby Florence Junction where she was found. Genetic genealogists knew that Lees was discovered wearing a floral dress or housecoat, with medium-length gray hair showing hints of blond.
The nonprofit explained that identifying Lees began with bone samples from her remains, which yielded a DNA profile. This profile was uploaded to the genetic databases GEDmatch Pro and FamilyTreeDNA, revealing partial matches that helped construct a family tree. Using traditional genealogy techniques and historical records, researchers then identified a common ancestor, ultimately leading to her identification, the DNA Doe Project detailed.
The volunteer genetic genealogists identified a 19th century married couple whose DNA indicated they were likely Lees' grandparents, according to the DNA Doe Project. In a matter of hours, the nonprofit added that Lees was identified following connections made between her and distant relatives.
Nearly $5,000 in donations were contributed to lab fees and management costs in Lees' genetic genealogy case, which involved nine genetic genealogists, according to the DNA Doe Project.