Gwinnet Jane Doe Found Near Highway Identified

Thanks to new technology, investigators were able to solve part of another Jane Doe mystery last month. This year, Gwinnet, Georgia, identified the remains of a woman found inside a suitcase along I-985. Her body was found on July 29, 2016, and nearly three years later her identity has been released.

Gwinnet Jane Doe was identified as Jessica Manchini, a 29-year-old woman whose mother expressed concern for her in December of 2014. While Jessica was from Pennsylvania, she had recently traveled across the United States and then settled in Georgia.

Jessica was found wearing a black Miley Cyrus hoodie, Victoria’s Secret Pink pants, and Nike shoes in size seven. The suitcase was found in a wooded area along the highway near Buford.

In this case, DNA was not the factor that helped authorities identify Jessica. Instead, new technology allowed investigators to raise ink from a suitcase tag. The tag revealed the name of the woman and an address in Pennsylvania. Armed with a potential identity, authorities were able to confirm Jessica’s identity with her dental and medical records, which confirmed her spinal fusion. Jessica’s mother was also able to confirm information about the Jane Doe.

Although investigators were able to determine Jessica’s identity, they still do not know how she died. When they discovered her body, few signs of what happened to her remained. She had no recent bone fractures but did have some healed injuries to her ribs.