Remains of Deceased Woman Found in Indiana Identified as Connie Lorraine Christensen, Missing for Over 40 Years

Accident – Death – Obituary News : Remains of Woman Found in Rural Indiana Identified as Missing Wisconsin Woman after Four Decades

The Wayne County Coroner’s Office has announced that the remains of a woman discovered in rural Indiana in 1982 have finally been identified as those of Connie Lorraine Christensen. Christensen, who was from the Madison, Wisconsin-area community of Oregon, vanished over four decades ago when she was just 20 years old.

Lauren Ogden, the chief deputy coroner of the Wayne County Coroner’s Office, confirmed that the recently identified remains belong to Christensen. The discovery was made by hunters near Jacksonburg, a rural community located approximately 60 miles east of Indianapolis. Christensen’s cause of death was determined to be a gunshot wound, and her case remains unsolved.

The DNA Doe Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to identifying cold case victims, provided valuable information about Christensen’s clothing. They stated that her attire did not suggest that she was out for a walk. At the time of her discovery, Christensen was wearing high-heeled wooden soled clogs, a blue long-sleeved button-up blouse, gray slacks, long knit socks, and a blue nylon jacket. Additionally, she was found wearing a gold ring adorned with an opal and two diamonds.

According to Ogden, Christensen was last seen in Nashville, Tennessee, in April 1982. At that time, she was believed to be three to four months pregnant. While she was away, Christensen left her 1-year-old daughter with relatives. However, after failing to return to Wisconsin as planned, her family reported her missing.

The University of Indianapolis’ forensic anthropology department stored Christensen’s remains until the coroner’s office partnered with the DNA Doe Project to aid in identifying her. Indiana State Police’s forensic laboratory successfully extracted DNA from the remains. Through forensic genetic genealogy, it was determined that the DNA closely matched that of two of Christensen’s relatives.

In an unexpected coincidence, Christensen’s family was simultaneously working on constructing an accurate family tree using ancestry and genealogy. This parallel effort proved beneficial, as several of Connie’s living relatives had uploaded their DNA to an ancestry website. Consequently, the genealogists at the DNA Doe Project were able to provide the coroner’s office with a candidate name much sooner than anticipated.

Last Tuesday, Christensen’s now-adult daughter was taken to the location where her mother’s remains were found. She had the opportunity to pay her respects and leave flowers at the site. Additionally, authorities presented her with the gold ring set with an opal and two diamonds that was discovered with her mother’s remains.

Missy Koski, a member of the DNA Doe Project, expressed sympathy for Connie’s family and commended the dedicated and skilled volunteers who assisted in returning her name after all these years. The DNA Doe Project, along with law enforcement, played a crucial role in bringing closure to the Christensen family.

The identification of Connie Lorraine Christensen’s remains marks a significant breakthrough in a decades-old cold case. While her homicide remains unsolved, authorities hope that this new development will lead to further leads and ultimately bring justice to Christensen and her grieving family..