SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — It took more than two decades, but officials say they have finally identified the human remains found in an Illinois field.
"It’s a lot more difficult to find anyone that knew her, especially because it has been 25 years ago,” said Sheriff Dustin Heuerman of Champaign County. “Those who did know her may not remember her at this point.”
Heuerman says the investigation has been a long process.
But technology played a major role in identifying Keri Wyant.
"It's mostly DNA and genetics at this point. With the isotopes, it's all collected from her bones and sent off to the lab," said Champaign County Coroner Duane Northrup.
Northrup says that the tissue gathered from her remains was the game-changer.
Those samples were shared with a massive database.
"They went their own samples into found out heritage and other family members and so forth. So the process basically entails putting Jane Doe's DNA in that same system and looking for possible hits," said Northrup
That's where the genealogist comes into the picture to make connections.
"The genealogy detectives, the people who study and work with genealogy. They then start building those family trees from that comparison and they make the connection back to the relatives of Jane Doe," said Northrup
It's been a long process but, still has always to go.
"The hardest part of us is everything takes time. DNA is not a quick process. As you are aware we started this genetics process and DNA and isotope testing almost a year ago to the day," said Northup.