Identifying Victim of Green River Killer: Tammie Liles Confirmed by Fort Worth Lab

– Serial killers bury victims
– Fort Worth lab helps dig out lost identities.

Accident – Death – Obituary News : Identifying victims of serial killers can be a challenging task, especially when there are limited remains available for investigation. However, the Center for Human Identification (CHI) lab at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth has been a crucial resource for law enforcement agencies across the United States in sorting out evidence from crime scenes.

Recently, the CHI lab confirmed the identification of one of Washington state’s notorious serial killers, Gary Ridgway, also known as the Green River Killer. In 2011, the lab provided assistance to the Cook County Sheriff’s Office in confirming the identities of eight previously unknown victims of another infamous serial killer, John Wayne Gacy.

According to CHI Executive Director Michael Coble, this breakthrough demonstrates that there is always hope, even decades later. The lab’s work has provided answers to families who have long been seeking resolution and closure.

Forensic Genetic Genealogy has played a significant role in revolutionizing the identification process. It has the ability to find relatives for human identification, even in cases that were once believed to be unsolvable. Coble emphasized that these successful identifications are the result of tireless dedication from law enforcement, forensic scientists, medicolegal professionals, prosecutors, and volunteers.

The recent breakthrough in the identification of the Green River Killer’s last victim, Tammie Liles, highlights the invaluable work of the CHI lab. In 2003, Ridgway led authorities to a site near Seattle where he claimed to have left a victim’s body. Though only several bones and teeth were found, the lab was able to extract a DNA profile from the remains. This data was then uploaded to the FBI’s National DNA Index System, which contains profiles of missing individuals and unidentified remains.

After two decades, Washington investigators partnered with Othram Forensic Sequencing Laboratory to tentatively identify the remains as those of Tammie Liles. The Fort Worth lab confirmed the identification using traditional STR and mitochondrial DNA testing, comparing it to DNA obtained from Liles’ mother.

Tammie Liles was one of the many victims of the Green River Killer. Gary Ridgway, who preyed on sex workers and runaways in the 1980s and 1990s, was ultimately convicted of the murders of 49 girls and women in the Seattle area.

In a similar case, the CHI lab played a crucial role in closing the loop on John Wayne Gacy’s killing spree. Gacy, a building contractor from the Chicago area, lured young men to his home under false pretenses and subsequently killed them. While most of the victims were buried under his home, others were dumped in a river. Gacy was responsible for the deaths of 33 young men, but only 25 were identified at the time.

In 2011, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office reopened the Gacy case as a cold case and sent bone fragments to the CHI lab for DNA processing. Despite the poor condition of the bones, the lab was able to obtain full mitochondrial DNA profiles for all eight remaining unidentified victims. With the help of DNA samples from family members, the lab confirmed the identity of 16-year-old Jimmy Haakenson, who had been missing for nearly 40 years.

The Center for Human Identification in Fort Worth is a vital institution that processes hundreds of unidentified remains each year. Forensic anthropologists at the lab meticulously sort through bones to identify the person and potentially determine the cause of death. Local law enforcement agencies, medical examiners, coroners, and Justices of the Peace frequently rely on the CHI for assistance in complex and unsolved cases.

The lab not only works with evidence from criminal and missing person cases but also plays a role in exonerating individuals who have been wrongly accused of crimes. The lab maintains strict security and quality assurance standards to ensure the integrity of the evidence throughout the process.

The CHI lab analyzes the remains it receives and creates biological profiles to uncover the lost identities of the victims through medical and dental records. Understanding how these unidentified individuals died and the extent of the trauma they endured is a crucial part of the lab’s mission.

In some cases, lab personnel will even go out into the field to assist with the search, excavation, and documentation of remains at the request of law enforcement agencies.

Located on the campus of the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, the Center for Human Identification is accredited by both the American National Standards Institute’s accreditation panel and the FBI’s Quality Assurance Standards for Forensic DNA Testing Laboratories. Its commitment to assisting Texas law enforcement at no cost ensures that families who have been waiting for answers about their loved ones can finally find resolution.

In conclusion, the Center for Human Identification lab at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth has become a vital resource for law enforcement agencies in identifying victims of serial killers and bringing closure to families. Through their expertise in Forensic Genetic Genealogy and DNA testing, they have been able to solve cases that were once believed to be unsolvable. Their dedication and commitment to justice have provided hope for families and important breakthroughs in cold cases..

1. “Serial killers bury victims Fort Worth lab helps lost identities”
2. “Fort Worth lab aids in identifying victims buried by serial killers”.