9 Crazy Mysteries Solved On The Internet

After almost four decades of anonymity, the identity of a dead girl was found in just a matter of hours by an organisation using their expertise and a very handy web database.

So called ‘Buckskin Girl’ got her name for the unique buckskin poncho she was found wearing. For years, knowledge about her didn’t extend past her cause of death and her basic physical information, but using an incredible modern tool one non-profit was able to finally solve the mystery.

The DNA Doe Project is run by volunteers, using genetic genealogy to track down the identities of those who have been previously robbed of them. The organisation processes and uploads genetic data to a public genealogy database called GEDMatch, most commonly used to help people find their biological parents and the like.

“Self-taught genealogists were helping police identify criminals and victims almost by the week. Suddenly, it seemed, anyone with the right savvy and an internet connection really could solve cold cases from their living room.” - Sarah Zhang for The Atlantic

From there, they are sometimes able to do what law enforcement has not achieved in the decades before them: crack the mystery of a Jane Doe wide open. In 2018, 37 years after her body was discovered, Buckskin Girl was identified as Marcia Lenore King: a 21 year old woman from Arkansas who went missing a year before her death.

She isn’t the only one to have been identified by the DNA Doe Project, as their site boasts a number of success stories found thanks to their dedication, DNA expertise and one incredibly versatile public website.