Investigators in Tennessee recently identified the remains of a woman whose body was found in 1985 and are asking the public for help in finding the person who potentially killed her.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation identified the previously unknown victim as Michelle Lavone Inman, who was born in April 1961 and was likely the victim of a homicide, according to local FOX 4.
Authorities identified Inman with the assistance of Othram, Inc., a private Texas-based lab where TBI agents sent a DNA sample of her remains for forensic genetic genealogical DNA testing.
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Inman’s skeletal remains were discovered near the bank of a creek in Cheatham County, Tennessee, in March 1985, after a motorist who was having issues with his car saw the body along Interstate 24 West, between mile markers 29 and 30.
Police determined that Inman’s remains belonged to a White female who had been deceased for as along as five months before her body was found.
Investigators were unable to determine her identity at the time and classified her as Jane Doe.
After Inman’s remains were entered into a DNA database in 2018, analysts found Inman’s sister in Virginia, who noted she had not seen her sister in more than 40 years.
Inman’s death was listed as a homicide, though no cause of death was determined.
Anyone with information that could lead to an arrest are encouraged to call 1-800-TBI-FIND or email TBI.ColdCase@tbi.tn.gov.