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DNA Breakthrough Identifies Hartford Native in 2007 Tennessee Cold Case

The DNA Doe Project has identified remains recovered Nov. 14, 2007, in La Vergne, Tennessee, as Mary Alice Maloney, a Hartford native who had been living near Nashville when she disappeared. Degraded DNA initially produced only distant matches, but uploads to GEDmatch Pro and FamilyTreeDNA and a new GEDmatch hit in April 2021 led investigators to a distant cousin and a family connection to Maloney's father. La Vergne police used that genealogical link to confirm the identification.

04:48 AM, 11/26/2025Society
DNA Breakthrough Identifies Hartford Native in 2007 Tennessee Cold Case

Officials have identified remains found in Tennessee in 2007 as Mary Alice Maloney, a Hartford native who was living in the Nashville area when she disappeared. The discovery closes an 18-year mystery and follows volunteer-led genetic genealogy work by the DNA Doe Project.

Maloney's remains were recovered on Nov. 14, 2007, in a remote, wooded area of La Vergne, Tennessee. Investigators found no clothing at the scene but noted several pieces of jewelry. Early forensic estimates suggested the decedent was African-American or multiracial and between 25 and 49 years old, and that death likely occurred in spring or summer 2007.

After local leads were exhausted, the La Vergne Police Department asked the nonprofit DNA Doe Project for assistance. The project's volunteer investigative genetic genealogists provide pro bono research to help law enforcement identify unknown decedents.

Because the remains were degraded, laboratory work to produce a usable DNA profile was challenging. Analysts eventually created a profile and uploaded it to GEDmatch Pro and FamilyTreeDNA. Those uploads initially yielded only distant matches, but the team noted indicators of Puerto Rican ancestry alongside African-American heritage, which helped narrow their search.

"Our work is often complicated by the lack of people who have uploaded their DNA profiles to the public databases we can use for our cases," said team leader Jenny Lecus. "That's why one of the recommendations we make to families of the missing is to make sure your DNA profile is in GEDmatch.com, FamilyTreeDNA.com and DNA Justice.org."

A significant break came in April 2021 when a new match appeared on GEDmatch. That lead connected investigators to a distant cousin and revealed that a relative had married Maloney's father, providing the critical familial link. Using that information, the La Vergne Police Department confirmed the 2007 Jane Doe was Mary Alice Maloney.

The identification highlights the growing role of investigative genetic genealogy in resolving long-standing cold cases and bringing answers to families. The DNA Doe Project continues to offer its services free to law enforcement agencies working to identify unidentified remains.

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DNA Breakthrough Identifies Hartford Native in 2007 Tennessee Cold Case - CRBC News