DNA Evidence Identifies Victim Found in Mississippi River as Helen Renee Groomes

Accident – Death – Obituary News : : 1. DNA evidence identification
2. Missing Iowa girl 1978

In a breakthrough discovery, a 46-year-old cold case in Missouri was finally solved as the body found in the Mississippi River was identified as a 15-year-old girl from Iowa. DNA evidence and scientific investigation were crucial in determining the victim as Helen Renee Groomes, who went missing from Ottumwa, Iowa. The body was initially thought to belong to a woman aged 30 to 40, with only a cat’s eye ring and a hard-to-read tattoo as clues. After exhumation and DNA analysis, the victim’s brother, Kevin Groomes, was located, shedding new light on the case. The Wapello County Sheriff’s Office in Iowa has now reopened the investigation.

The Discovery of a 15-Year-Old Girl’s Body in the Mississippi River

In a small town in Troy, Missouri, a hunter stumbled upon a heartbreaking mystery that would take nearly five decades to solve. Forty-six years after the discovery of a body in the Mississippi River, authorities have finally identified the victim as a 15-year-old girl from Iowa.

Identification of the Victim

Authorities in Lincoln County, Missouri, made a groundbreaking announcement on Tuesday, revealing that DNA evidence and advanced scientific investigation techniques played a crucial role in identifying the body as that of Helen Renee Groomes. Helen, who disappeared from Ottumwa, Iowa, was only 15 years old when her body was found near Elsberry, Missouri, in March 1978.

A Long-Standing Mystery

Initially, an autopsy conducted at the time of the discovery concluded that the body belonged to a woman aged between 30 to 40 years. With little evidence to work with, investigators only had a cat’s eye ring and a barely legible tattoo on her arm to go by. The cause of death was deemed “undetermined,” and coroners estimated that she had been deceased for approximately four months before being found.

Unmarked Grave and Exhumation

Following the autopsy, the remains were laid to rest in Troy, Missouri, under the gravestone inscription of “Lincoln County Jane Doe.” Decades later, in October, Coroner Dan Heavin decided to exhume the body for further investigation. Seeking assistance from anthropology experts at Southeast Missouri State University, bone and dental analysis, along with DNA sampling, were carried out.

Breakthrough in the Investigation

Othram Inc., a private lab, conducted forensic genome sequencing, which led to the creation of a genealogical profile. This new evidence provided crucial leads that eventually led the coroner’s office to Kevin Groomes, Helen’s brother. Kevin confirmed to KSDK-TV that his sister had gone missing in 1977 and even revealed that the tattoo on her arm, reading “Del,” was a nickname for her boyfriend at the time.

New Developments in the Case

As a result of this breakthrough, the Wapello County Sheriff’s Office in Iowa has reopened an investigation into Helen’s death. The long-awaited identification of the victim has brought a sense of closure to the family and renewed hope for finding justice for Helen Groomes.