Rebecca 'Becky' Burke: DNA test helps identify woman found dead behind Georgia hotel in 1993
ATLANTA, GEORGIA: After nearly 30 years since her remains were discovered behind a hotel in the woods outside Atlanta, a woman has been identified with the help of an advanced form of DNA testing. The woman, identified as Rebecca 'Becky' Burke, was left to decompose for years until the Dekalb County District Attorney's Office utilized modern technology to determine her identity. The announcement came this week, on Tuesday, March 21, wherein a new release, the officials revealed that someone tried to hide the body behind an electrical unit that was covered with pine straw and branches.
The body was already "in an advanced state of decomposition.” The location, now called Quality Inn Northlake, is 20 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta. The wooded area where the remains were first noticed was precisely between a former Fairfield Inn and a vacant medical office. Since the condition in which the remains were discovered, the authorities came to the conclusion that 52 years old had been killed between two weeks and three months before the remains were found.
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'Forensic genealogy research helped solve Burke's case'
As per the district attorney, no identification was made back then, but the investigation during the early stage revealed that the victim had undergone extensive dental work and hip replacement surgery that could have required her to walk with a gait. Since no further information could be traced on her killing, the case went cold. Now with the enhanced DNA testing involving the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System and Othram, which is a company specializing in forensic genealogy research to help solve such cases, Burke’s identification was made, as per CBS News.
'We're grateful to finally have identified Becky Burke's remains'
The tests combined traditional genealogy research with DNA analyses known as forensic genetic genealogy linked Burke's remains to a family member, allowing investigators to learn more about her and her background. Burke may have also used the last names McChesney or Barnes, and her last known residence was determined to be either the Marietta or Smyrna area of Cobb County, Georgia, said Authorities. "We're grateful to finally have identified Becky Burke's remains, but the work doesn't end here, If you have any information about Becky's last days, please contact our Cold Case Tip Line," said Sherry Boston in a statement.
For sharing any information, Call the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Cold Case Tip Line at 404-371-2444. Callers may remain anonymous.
