An update from the Kentucky State Police:

 

The KSP Forensic Lab partnered with Othram Inc. using advanced DNA testing to establish an identity for a victim in an unsolved case. Recently, KSP positively identified a “Jane Doe” recovered along a roadside in rural Owen County from 1988 as Linda Bennett.

 

In May 1988, a couple from Owenton spotted an unresponsive woman while on a walk, which resulted in KSP Post 5 opening an investigation. Detectives determined that her death was a homicide; however, they were unable to identify the victim. Investigators collected her fingerprints and compared them to others in databases and did multiple forensic facial reconstructions, but leads were exhausted. The case has remained open throughout the years, in hope that someday the victim may be identified as technology progressed.

 

In June 1988, Bennett’s family reported her missing to authorities in Columbus, Ohio, where she was last known to live. Bennett’s family did not live in the same state as her and had limited contact.

 

In 2022 new information was acquired about the potential identity of the Jane Doe, which led investigators to the victim’s son, who provided a DNA sample. The DNA sample made a match to Linda Bennett, positively confirming her identity.

 

If you have information about a criminal case, please contact your local KSP Post or dial the tip line at 1-800-222-5555.