MT. VERNON, IL — The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office will hold a press conference Friday morning to unveil recent developments in the case of Ina Jane Doe, an unidentified woman whose head was discovered almost 30 years ago in Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park.

The sheriff’s office recently announced it was ramping up efforts to identify Ina Jane Doe.  

On January 27, 1993, the decapitated head of a presumed white woman was discovered on the side of a wooded roadway within the Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park.

The victim, estimated to have been 30-50 years old at the time of her death, had likely died 2-3 days prior to discovery.

She had long, reddish hair and a pin-shaped mole in her left ear. She’d had extensive dental work, including a silver point filling, and she had possibly worn braces at some point.

The victim had skeletal asymmetry that, in life, may have been visible in her facial features.

Additionally, she may have experienced issues with her neck.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has investigated the victim’s homicide and worked to identify her for nearly three decades.

Recently, new avenues of identification for “Ina Jane Doe,” have been pursued, including anthropological re-analysis from University of New Hampshire assistant professor Dr. Amy Michael and DNA extraction and sequencing has been conducted by Astrea Labs.

Forensic genetic genealogy has been conducted by Redgrave Research Forensic Services who is involved in Friday morning’s press conference scheduled for 9 a.m. at the Jefferson County Courthouse.