Othram, a Texas-based DNA company specializing in forensic genetic genealogy, has identified the remains of a Pennsylvania woman who was found dead in Maryland nearly 55 years ago.
In July 1971, the woman was found lying in a field in Woodstock, Maryland, alive but unresponsive.
Investigators said the woman, who remained unidentified for 54 years, had been assaulted before being found in the field. She underwent brain surgery but never regained consciousness and died two months later.
At the time of her death, officials believed the woman was between 35 and 60 years old, about 5 feet tall and 86 pounds. She was commonly referred to as “Howard County Jane Doe.”
Despite years of efforts from Howard County police, the investigation sat cold for over five decades.
In January 2014, the case’s details were entered into a national database for missing and unidentified people. An artist’s rendering of the woman was also released to the public.
An artist’s rendition of “Howard County Jane Doe” released in January 2014. Othram in 2025 identified the woman as Sarah Sharkey, originally born Sadie Belle Murray.Othram
In October 2024, 53 years after the woman’s death, police handed over forensic evidence to Othram, located in The Woodlands, Texas, for advanced DNA testing.
Othram scientists extracted DNA from the evidence and used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing, a method used to identify degraded or contaminated samples, to build a genetic profile.
Othram’s in-house genetic genealogy team then used that profile to develop new leads in the investigation, which were returned to police in Howard County.
After receiving the genetic profile, police collected DNA samples from potential relatives and compared them to the profile using KinSNP Rapid Relationship Testing, developed by Othram to confirm or exclude genetic relationships.
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DNA testing identifies Pa. woman, solves 54-year-old Maryland cold case
The new investigation led to the identification of the woman as Sadie Belle Murray, who married in 1943 and took the name Sarah Sharkey. She died in the hospital at the age of 47.
Murray was born in September 1924 in Brownsville, Pennsylvania.
With Sharkey’s identification confirmed, her 79-year-old son, who lives in Ohio, and his 81-year-old sister were both notified of her death. Both children grew up in orphanages from a young age.
The Howard County Police Department is working to arrange for Sharkey’s children to meet in the coming months.
“Even when it’s a cold case, it’s time critical. It’s time sensitive because people don’t live forever, and they need to know what happened to their loved ones,” said Kristen Mittelman, Chief Development Officer for Othram.
A homicide investigation into Sharkey’s death is still pending. Anyone with information regarding her death is asked to contact the Howard County Police Department.
Mittelman also emphasized that more cases like Sharkey’s can be solved by spreading awareness of technological advances in forensic genealogy.
“We work with law enforcement all over the country, and our overarching message is always the same: More of the cases can be solved, and they can all be solved faster when people understand how the process works,” Mittelman said.
Anyone who has taken a consumer DNA test can help with ongoing forensic investigations by joining the DNASolves database. As more DNA profiles are received, the likelihood of identifications grows, potentially providing answers for loved ones.
Sharkey’s identification marks the sixth case in Maryland in which officials have used technology developed by Othram to identify remains.
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