I am so excited to bring you all another update on a Doe case we’ve covered here at the Morbid Library. This case has, by far, been the most confounding Doe case I’ve covered. She was constantly on my mind. The composites were all so drastically different from each other. She was a suspected victim of a serial killer. The case has all the hallmarks of something sensational, but it hardly made the news. It was not well known outside of online sleuths and true crime circles.
And then Othram Labs stepped up to the plate. Othram a private laboratory company that uses parallel sequencing to enhance and analyze forensic evidence. They are able to enhance degraded or trace DNA evidence, which allows investigative agencies to use it for testing and genetic genealogy. You can learn more about the specific processes used in this case here at DNAsolves.com.
via NBC Montana)
And now we know her name – Janet Lee Lucas. Janet was last seen sometime between mid 1983 and early 1984 in Sandpoint, Idaho. She was 23 at the time. She had no known ties to Montana, and no one has yet figured out what led her there. She had a son who was five years old at the time of her disappearance. By all accounts, she was a kind, caring, and warm person.
Statement from the Family:
“After decades of missing Janet, our family is broken hearted to learn that she was tragically taken, unidentified and spent a large amount of years alone. However, she never spent one moment without being loved. Janet had a contagious smile, warm personality and wore her heart on her sleeve. Janet had been missed dearly, searched for but most importantly never forgotten. Janet was loved by everyone. Not only was she a mother, she was a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a friend and now a grandmother to 4 beautiful children.
We are grateful to finally be able to bring her home to us, as well as bring Janet the peace and rest she so deserves. While after 38 years, our family finally has some answers. We also realize there are questions that we may never have the answers to. We would like to thank the Missoula Sheriff’s Department for their decades of pursuit to bring justice to Janet, Marta Timmons who devoted years of her career looking for answers and resolution for Janet, Dianna Parker for volunteering her time to consult and answer all our questions, and lastly we would like to thank the family that submitted their ancestry and DNA that finally brought Janet home.
While this case has been in the hearts of the community just as long as it has been in our hearts, due to the sensitive nature and deep emotions involved we also ask that the public respect our families privacy as we put our beloved Janet to rest.”
Janet continues to be considered a possible victim of the Missoula Mauler, though the case has yet to be conclusively linked. If you or anyone you know have any information regarding what happened to Janet Lee Lucas, please contact the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office at 406-258-4810.
Sources
- https://missoulian.com/news/local/christy-crystal-creek-remains-identified-after-36-years/article_806fe829-bca2-56b1-8db1-46df05f88094.html
- https://www.kulr8.com/missoula/sheriff-ids-remains-found-36-years-ago-near-crystal-creek/article_b03eafd0-fa3d-57d8-b2b4-6d13e5c66b53.html
- https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/10/us/christy-crystal-creek-identified-janet-lee-lucas-trnd/index.html
- https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/christy-crystal-creek-remains-identified-after-36-years/article_55857dc6-c027-56aa-95fa-26ccb8c95ac2.html
- https://www.nbcrightnow.com/janet-lee-lucas-aka-christy-crystal-creek/image_75a90aed-7642-59bd-a431-c2617e64b933.html
- https://www.montanarightnow.com/janet-lee-lucas-aka-christy-crystal-creek/image_ead7a644-b1ae-11eb-8d35-2fe991398cb9.html
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/janet-lucas-montana-shooting-victim-dna-christy-crystal-creek/
- https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/was-janet-lee-lucas-murdered-by-suspected-serial-killer-wayne-nance