Press Release, Michigan City Police:

BERRIEN COUNTY, MICH. The Michigan State Police (MSP) Niles Post, in partnership with the DNA Doe Project, has identified the woman known for decades as “New Buffalo Jane Doe” as 71-year-old Dorothy Glanton of Chicago, Illinois.

Glanton was reported missing after leaving her Chicago home on December 9, 1987. On April 8, 1988, her remains were recovered along the shoreline of Lake Michigan near New Buffalo. Despite extensive investigative efforts at the time, her identity could not be determined.

In 2023, MSP investigators reopened the case and enlisted assistance from the DNA Doe Project, a nonprofit specializing in investigative genetic genealogy. DNA extracted from Glanton’s remains was analyzed and uploaded to genealogical databases, allowing researchers to construct a family tree that ultimately led to her identification.

Early assessments in 1988 suggested the unidentified woman was a white female in her 40s or 50s. The genetic genealogy process revealed that Glanton was African American and in her early 70s at the time of her death. Advances in forensic technology and collaboration between agencies were key to resolving this decades-old mystery.

“This identification brings closure to a family that has wondered for nearly four decades what happened to their loved one,” said D/Sgt. John Moore, MSP Niles Post and lead detective on the case. “We’re grateful for the dedication of all those who worked tirelessly on this case.”

The Michigan State Police wish to thank the following partners for their assistance:
• DNA Doe Project for investigative genetic genealogy research.
• Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine for exhumation and sample
collection.
• Astrea Forensics, HudsonAlpha Discovery, and Kevin Lord for DNA processing and analysis.
• New Buffalo Police Department, Illinois State Police, and Chicago and Evanston Police
Departments for their collaboration.

The Michigan State Police remain committed to identifying all unidentified persons and returning them to
their families.