Terri McAdams seemed to have a promising future ahead of her: a college degree, an upcoming wedding, and the love and support of friends, family, and fiancé.  But Terri was conflicted about her personal life, and was also deeply afraid. Someone was murdering young women in the Fort Worth, Texas area – women who were a lot like Terri.  On Valentine’s Day eve in 1985, Terri was next.  Her shockingly brutal murder and the theft of her engagement ring catapulted the Arlington PD into a massive, widespread and ultimately fruitless murder investigation.  Time and again, Terri’s case was reexamined, and put aside, until at long last, forensic genealogy linked her case to a murder/suicide that had occurred just months after Terri’s death. 

On October 24, 1985, the body of a woman was found by hunters near Mowry Avenue in Newark, California. Although the remains were mostly skeletonized, it was clear that she was a homicide victim, and had been shot to death. It was estimated she had been dead for about six months. The dead woman had no ID, and the only items found with her included some barrettes, a watch, a ring on her finger, and some earrings. It was determined that the Jane Doe was a White woman likely 30-36 years old with Reddish Brown hair. Her height was estimated to be between 5ft6 and 5ft8. Without much to go on, "Mowry Avenue Jane Doe" or "Wetlands Jane Doe"  was laid to rest, but her case wasn't forgotten. Years later, DNA & genealogy would provide answers, but also more questions.  Her birth mother was identified as Marian Marie Richardson of Missouri. A half sister of Jane Doe's was also identified living in Texas. She has been adopted out as a baby by Marian. Marian told her family that she put one child up for adoption, but she never mentioned a second child that she gave up, and there is no record of her putting up another baby for adoption. So we know who Mowry Ave Jane Doe's Mother & half sister are, but we still do not know who she is, and we don't know who murdered her. If she can finally be identified, then maybe her killer can be as well. 

At long last, Canadian listeners who have been requesting a case get their wish!  There was a horrific series of murders of girls and young women in the Calgary area in the 1970s and early 1980s.   In particular, teenagers Patsy McQueen and Eva Dvorak, and young women Barbara MacLean and Melissa Rehorek stood out.  There was no overt evidence of rape.  Some of the deaths weren’t even certain to be homicides.  No one was sure which cases, if any, were linked.  All the cases fell in RCMP jurisdiction, and thousands of hours were spent investigating them.  Task forces were formed and folded, wagons were circled… it was all for naught. Until a genealogy team and some dedicated CPS detectives partnered up … and what they uncovered was shocking.  In this case, Jess gets unprecedented cooperation from the RCMP about the cold case investigations and the yearlong inquiry into the unmasked killer.