Vandy was found covered in brush and vegetative debris on September 8, 2018. Located on rural Sulphur Creek Road in Nashville, Tennessee. At the time of her death she was wearing Vanderbilt University gear as seen below in the flyer. There were few identifying markers due to the badly decomposed state of her body. Vandy’s body was exhumed in October 2022 for DNA testing by Othram Labs. Per the testing, Vandy is fifty percent African American and fifty percent European decent of which is primarily Italian. This is different than what was originally thought where they felt she was African American with mixed Hispanic descent. The surnames that have been found from the few matches and where trees have been able to be built are:
Italian: Mengarelli/Mangarelli, Sagrati, Avaltroni, Brunetti, and Hays
African American: Moore and Butler
The American regions she is associated with are: Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas.
Even with the extensive trees that have been built and the DNA matches, every attempt to identify Vandy through investigative genetic genealogy must be exhausted before reference testing can proceed.
The Fall Line Podcast – The Tennessee Does, Part 1: Vandy Jane Doe and Orchard Jane Doe
For the past couple of weeks I have been working with an amazing group of women building trees from the surnames that have been supplied from the lab and released by Detective Filter of Metro Nashville Police Department. Can I say that Vandy is closer to her name, we believe so. Now it is up to you! Share the poster, do DNA testing and opt-in so law enforcement has access to the profile. It doesn’t mean you will solve this case or the next, BUT every person who uploads has the ability to possibly help a case further down the road. The testing that is used can identify an expansive run of generations that may be able to help in a the future, when we aren’t around.
Why Can’t They Just Use CODIS?
Traditionally law enforcement uses what is known as STR (short tandem repeat) sampling. This will allow them to identify an exact match or first degree relative (mother, father, brother, or sister). In IGG, we use SNP’s (single nucleotide polymorphisms). A SNP is a DNA sequence that occurs when a single nucleotide (adenine, thymine, cytosine, or guanine) in the genome sequence is altered and the particular alteration is present in at least 1% of the population. This allows us to identify distant cousins and beyond.
Double Helix Consultants 