DNA Could ID Victims Of Killing Fields

LEAGUE CITY, TX — Police in League City are looking to identify the remains of two young women found murdered in an area of Galveston County known as the Killing Fields more than 25 years ago. The bodies of the victims were found in the area of Calder Road, with the first being discovered on Feb. 2, 1986, and the second victim found Sept. 8, 1991.

Detectives are hoping that recent scientific advancements in the field of forensic DNA analysis will generate leads and help identify the women, officials said in a press release on Tuesday.

League City police recently employed Virginia-based Parabon NanoLabs to determine the physical appearance and possible origin of the victims, using a new method of forensic DNA analysis called DNA phenotyping.

Using this technique, investigators learned that the first victim found in 1986 had ties to Tennessee, and most likely had fair to very fair skin, blue or green eyes, blond or brown hair, and had no or few freckles.

Investigators believe the woman was possibly between 22-30 years old, 5-feet-5" to 5-feet-8 inches tall and that she died six weeks to six months before her body was found.

The woman had been shot in the back, investigators said, and also had old, healed injuries which were unrelated to her death.

Those injuries included fractured ribs that had healed and were likely the result of a singular event. She also had a noticeable gap in the upper portion of her front teeth.

The second victim found in 1991 most likely had fair skin, hazel eyes, brown hair, no or few freckles, and has a likely family origin of Louisiana. She was believed to be 24-34 years old, 5-feet" to 5-feet-3 inches tall, and weighed 100-130 pounds, and died six weeks to several months before her body was found.

Investigators said this victim also had old healed injuries, such as healed rib fractures, healed fractures at the spine, a compression injury to her upper spine in three places; her lower spine showed signs of an old, poorly-healed compression injury. These injuries and her poor dental condition may have been the result of a singular injury event that occurred sometime prior to her murder.

Anyone with any information on these victims is asked to call Lieutenant Michael Buffington of the League City Police Department at (281) 338-8220.

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Image: League City Police

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