Amy Marie Yeary, formerly known as Fond du Lac County Jane Doe, (December 9, 1989 - c. August 15, 2008) was a young woman who was found deceased in Ashford, Wisconsin in 2008.
Her cause of death was not possible to determine, although investigators believe she was murdered, given the circumstances of where she was found.
Pollen testing indicated she was originally from New Mexico or a nearby state and had spent less than a year in the Midwest. However, this was later found to be incorrect.
On November 28, 2021, thirteen years to the date of the discovery of her remains, it was announced that Yeary was positively identified via genetic genealogy conducted by Barbara Rae-Venter.
Background[]
Amy was born on December 9, 1989, in Rockford, Illinois. She called her mother from Beloit, Wisconsin sometime in 2008, stating that she wanted a ride home. Her mother could not accommodate her request, and Amy was never heard from again.
In the weeks before her death, Amy had spent time in Milwaukee and Beloit, Wisconsin and Chicago, Illinois. She was also a victim of human sex trafficking and a transient.
Case[]
Discovery[]
Amy's frozen and badly decomposed remains were found in a pond in a wooded area in November 2008. She is believed to have died in the summer or early fall of 2008, based on the availability of the clothing she wore and insect activity.
Investigation[]
No cause of death could be determined based on the condition of the remains. Authorities suspected foul play, as the location she was found in and the lack of footwear suggested.
Extensive comparison was conducted between missing persons of various ages. Over 60 were excluded from the case.
The victim's case was taken on by NCMEC, who released a reconstruction in 2009, as well as images of her clothing. She was later added to NamUs and the Wisconsin Department of Justice.
Later investigation[]
New renderings were released in 2018, although the frontal versions had been previously released on a Wisconsin missing person site. It was announced that Parabon NanoLabs were working on the case to estimate the victim's race, complexion and eye colour, previously unknown from decomposition. The organization also utilizes forensic genetic genealogy.
A chemical isotope analysis conducted by Utah's IsoForensics laboratory placed Fond du Lac County Jane Doe in the New Mexico-Arizona area for most of her life, but that she likely resided in the regions of South West Wisconsin, Southern Minnesota, and Northern Iowa for less than a year before her death. In the time preceding these tests, it was believed she was not local to the area.
Jane Doe was briefly theorized as being connected to the West Mesa murders, but the law enforcement in Albuquerque concluded that these two cases are not related nor connected.
In October 2019, her page was briefly removed from NamUs and restored a week later for unclear reasons. This prompted various sources, including ours, to mistakenly list her as identified.
Biological samples were also sent to another laboratory, Astrea Forensics, which was successfully generated for the purposes of investigative genetic genealogy.
Characteristics[]
- Dark blond to light brown hair.
- Overbite.
- Dental sealants on her teeth, along with a few fillings.
- May have been knock-kneed or pigeon-toed.
Clothing[]
- The sizes of clothing varied, causing difficulty in estimating her weight.
- Her top was traced to a Family Dollar (or a similar store) that sold the outfit for two weeks during the summer.
- It is possible that Jane Doe had purchased, been given, or even stolen the clothing during that period of time.
- Blue Angels brand jeans that were rolled up slightly
- A ponytail holder worn on one of her wrists
- A pink bra
- A St. Benedict medal was located in the pond.
- It is unknown if it belonged to the victim or those who disposed of her body.
Gallery[]
Sources[]
- Amy Yeary on Wikipedia
- Amy Yeary at the Doe Network
- FOX6
- Astrea Forensics