Who was Michelle Lavone Inman? Tennessee 'Jane Doe' identified 38 years after discovery of skeletal remains
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: Michelle Lavone Inman has been identified as the Jane Doe whose skeletal remains were found in Cheatham County in 1985. Authorities were finally able to identify the deceased woman with the help of advanced DNA testing techniques nearly 40 years after her disappearance. Officials said that before the latest identification, Inman's case remained cold for several years after an earlier attempt to identify the victim became unsuccessful.
Reports suggest that The University of Tennessee Forensic Anthropology Center initially tried to find a match between the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) and the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) but failed in their attempt. Inman was finally identified through DNA testing conducted by researchers at Othram Inc. While her cause of death was never determined, police believe Inman was murdered.
What is known about Michelle Lavone Inman?
Inman was a 24-year-old woman who reportedly went missing from her Nashville, Tennessee home nearly two to five months before her remains were found near a creek in Cheatham County in March 1985. The discovery was reportedly made by a motorist along Interstate 24 West between mile markers 29 and 30 while he was facing some trouble with his vehicle. However, Inman remained unidentified when her skeletal remains were first discovered.
As police failed to uncover her identity she was referred to as "Jane Doe." Reports suggest that the only identifying marks officials found at the time of the discovery of Inman's body were a baseball cap featuring tropical imagery and a white collared shirt decorated with small red flowers. The woman was finally identified through DNA testing after 38 years. While her cause of death remains unknown, officials believe she was the victim of a homicide incident.
How were Michelle Lavone Inman's remains identified?
In December 2022, Tennessee detectives sent Inman's DNA to a private lab named Othram Inc., which specialized in genealogical research and testing. Researchers eventually located the relatives of the-then unidentified woman in Virginia and tested a man, who is believed to be her brother, for a match. As per DNA Solves, "Agents contacted a Virginia man who confirmed that he had a sister whom he had not heard from in more than four decades."
Authorities reportedly obtained a reference DNA sample from the man and compared it to Jane Doe's DNA profile. The reference sample was then returned to Othram for additional DNA testing and for comparison to the victim's DNA profile. The testing then confirmed that Cheatham County Jane Doe had a "sibling relationship" with the Virginia man. The finding eventually confirmed the identity of the woman as Inman. Officials have urged anyone with information about Inman's whereabouts in the days leading up to her disappearance and death to contact the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-TBI-FIND.
