A group of college students have helped New Mexico authorities crack a decades-old cold case using DNA evidence. The Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center of Ramapo College of New Jersey identified an 18-year-old woman found dead inside the bathtub of a Super 8 Motel room in Albuquerque in June 1991 as Becca Mallekoote, according to NJ.com.
Details of the Case
Her room had been locked from the inside, and an ensuing autopsy determined that the cause of death was suicide. Yet her identity remained unknown for decades. 'Despite having a suitcase of clothing and $500 in cash, she carried no identification,' APD spokesperson Rebecca Atkins told the Albuquerque Journal.
For years, police used databases including the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System and fingerprints to follow leads all across the nation and even into Canada, but their search efforts proved fruitless. Investigators were only able to learn in 2021 that the victim's first name may have been 'Becca,' and soon the case was referred to as the 'Becca Doe' case, USA Today reports.
Breakthrough with Genetic Genealogy
Finally, in December, the Office of the Medical Investigator reached out to Ramapo College to conduct a genealogy investigation. They sent Becca Doe's forensic sample to Genologue in Tucker, Georgia for DNA extraction and whole genome sequencing, the results of which were later transferred to Parabon Nanolabs to create a Single Nucleotide Polymorphism profile. The profile was then uploaded to GEDmatch Pro in January.
Shortly after, the team at Ramapo College was able to identify Mallekoote as a likely candidate and tracked down her half-brother and stepfather in California. Her stepfather then confirmed he last saw Mallekoote in 1991 when she left Los Angeles, Atkins said. Meanwhile, a sergeant with the Ventura Police Department in California was able to get the half-brother to provide a DNA sample, which confirmed he was half-siblings with the woman who was found dead all those years ago.
Reactions and Implications
'We are incredibly proud of our students, staff and volunteers who provide research around the clock from locations all over the world to bring resolution to waiting families of the missing, the unidentified victims of violent crime,' IGG Center Assistant Director Cairenn Binder told the Patch. She added that since the college started its Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center in 2022, it has helped identify victims or suspects in 23 different cold cases.
Albuquerque Interim Chief Cecily Barker also said the resolution of the decades-old cold case 'is a testament to our department's commitment to never giving up on a case, no matter how much time has passed.' 'By continuing to utilize advancements in technology and forensic genealogy, we are able to provide answers that were once thought impossible,' she said.
OMI Chief Medical Examiner Heather Jarrell added that 'Becca's identity was discovered through collaboration between multiple agencies and advancing technology.' 'With this kind of partnership and a new frontier of forensic genealogy, I'm optimistic that we will be able to provide more answers to more families who mysteriously lost a loved one.'
If you or someone you know needs help, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US on 988. There is also an online chat available at 988lifeline.org.
