Moxxy Forensic Investigations\u2019 press release<\/a> and those details were used to tell the rest of the story.<\/p>\nThe 1982 investigation<\/p>\n
Additional investigation by the McLean County Coroner\u2019s Office, McLean County Sheriff\u2019s Office and Illinois State Police investigators followed up on considerable leads and tips from the public.<\/p>\n
A locksmith in New York was identified from a key on her keychain, but the lead ended there.<\/p>\n
Investigators at the time located and interviewed several people regarding \u201cJane Doe.\u201d Multiple people reported giving her rides, or attempted to assist her in some way, dropping her off when requested, at numerous locations between Clinton, Bloomington, Heyworth and Le Roy, Illinois.<\/p>\n
During the course of the investigation, the police reports say those who gave rides or tried to assist \u201cJane Doe\u201d stated some of the things she talked about seemed unusual and her behavior seemed erratic. Some also reported she seemed agitated.<\/p>\n
A passerby and an IDOT snowplow driver reportedly found \u201cJane Doe,\u201d who we now know was Haddad. The way she was found indicated her death was self-inflicted.<\/p>\n
But all the leads explored throughout 1982 to determine who she was were unsuccessful. That included the involvement of a forensic anthropologist from the University of Oklahoma, along with additional media releases.<\/p>\n
Eventually, leads to figuring out who \u201cJane Doe\u201d was dried up and by early December, she was buried in a rural Bloomington cemetery.<\/p>\n
Following-up<\/p>\n
In 2016, the McLean County Coroner\u2019s Office was contacted by someone who was researching the case and presented some information they had developed, but it did not lead to her identification.<\/p>\n
But \u201cJane Doe\u2019s\u201d DNA was uploaded to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), and an entry for the McLean County \u201cJane Doe\u201d was submitted to NamUs. No hits or leads were developed from either upload.<\/p>\n
By January 2021, the coroner\u2019s office received a word from someone else researching the case. Based on the strength of the information for a possible candidate, the case was reopened. Ultimately, it was determined through comparison of DNA samples that \u201cJane Doe\u201d was not the missing person from the tip.<\/p>\n
But at this time, a review of the 1982 reports compiled by the involved law enforcement agencies was undertaken, and a timeline was developed to gain a better understanding of her movements prior to her death.<\/p>\n
Turning points<\/p>\n
Then, in Aug. 2023, an investigative genetic genealogist with Moxxy Forensic Investigations contacted the McLean County Sheriff\u2019s Criminal Investigation Department about the cold case.<\/p>\n
Moxxy\u2019s mission is to identify previously unidentified deceased people and perpetrators of violent crimes, in addition to their advocacy for missing person cases.<\/p>\n
The agencies met and Moxxy initiated a fundraising campaign. The goal was achieved in November 2024 and Moxxy started work with genealogical analysis in February 2025.<\/p>\n
By late March, the team had developed a potential candidate for \u201cJane Doe.\u201d Living genetic relatives of \u201cJane Doe\u201d were identified, and a sample from one was taken and directly compared to her profile, with their close genetic relationship confirming the identity of Haddad.<\/p>\n
Aug. 1, 2025, a final round of comparative testing determined \u201cJane Doe\u201d was, in fact, Linda Cecilia Haddad, born August 27, 1942, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.<\/p>\n
The science<\/p>\n
The statement from Moxxy said the agency partnered with Atlanta, Georgia-based Genologue to sequence an existing DNA profile and Parabon NanoLabs of Reston, Virginia, to conduct bioinformatics. A digital kit was developed and uploaded to the public DNA database GEDmatch.<\/p>\n
Seven of Moxxy\u2019s investigative genetic genealogists conducted a month-long investigation before developing a viable lead that ultimately connected Haddad\u2019s DNA profile with relatives who were able to assist in confirming her identity.<\/p>\n
\u201cLinda\u2019s case is a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when science, compassion, and determination come together,\u201d said Kaycee Connelly, case lead and co-founder of Moxxy Forensic Investigations.<\/p>\n
Haddad\u2019s family<\/p>\n
A statement from Haddad\u2019s family said, \u201cfamily and friends love her and have missed her greatly. We want to express our deepest condolences gratitude to the dedicated individuals at Moxxy Forensic Investigations, McLean County Coroner\u2019s Office and the McLean County Sheriff\u2019s Department, who went to great lengths to identify and locate us. We also want to thank the people of Le Roy, Illinois, who helped and cared for Linda in her time of need. After 42 years of searching and wondering, we are relieved to finally have some answers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Closing the case<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the skilled professionals at Moxxy Forensic Investigations and their partners,\u201d said McLean County Sheriff Matt Lane. \u201cTheir expertise and dedication were instrumental in helping us bring resolution to this case and, most importantly, closure to the family and everyone impacted.\u201d<\/p>\n
The sheriff also recognized \u201cthe outstanding investigators from both the Sheriff\u2019s Office and the Coroner\u2019s Office, past and present, who worked tirelessly to retrace Linda\u2019s steps and ultimately uncover her identity. Their commitment to resolving this investigation and compassion for the victim will not be forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n
This was McLean County\u2019s only unidentified person case.<\/p>\n
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com. <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) \u2014 A 43-year-old cold case that was an unidentified woman in McLean County finally has…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":193698,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[50],"tags":[112501,112498,200,112500,112502,28347,112499,112497,79],"class_list":{"0":"post-193697","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-genetics","8":"tag-coroners-office","9":"tag-forensic-investigations","10":"tag-genetics","11":"tag-haddad","12":"tag-illinois-state-police","13":"tag-jane-doe","14":"tag-linda-cecilia-haddad","15":"tag-mclean-county","16":"tag-science"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/193697","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=193697"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/193697\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/193698"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=193697"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=193697"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=193697"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}