“Jeweled Mom” murder victim identified 43 years after body found by real estate agent

A woman who was found dead in 1982 has finally been identified, more than 40 years after her death. 

The remains were found by a real estate agent assessing land in Loxahatchee, Florida, in December 1982, according to a news release from Othram, a company that uses genetic genealogy to help solve cold cases. Loxahatchee is in Palm Beach County, Florida, north of Miami. 

An investigation found that the remains were those of a White woman between the ages of 24 and 34. CBS News affiliate CW34 reported she was believed to have two or more children. She had been shot in the head, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide. At the time, investigators developed a DNA profile that was entered into the national database CODIS, but no matches were found. Details of the case were also entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. 

Alongside the remains were five pieces of jewelry, described by Othram as “a silver handcrafted heart-shaped pinky ring, a gold mariner’s anchor necklace with a 180-degree twist, a wristwatch, a four marquis cut ring, and a diamond ring with 14K white gold setting.” When the remains could not be identified, the woman was nicknamed “Jeweled Mom.”  

For decades, the case remained cold. In 2021, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office teamed up with Othram to use advanced DNA testing. Forensic evidence was submitted to Othram’s laboratory. Othram scientists extracted DNA from the evidence and used advanced methods to build another DNA profile. 

Othram’s forensic genetic genealogy team then used that profile in a genealogy search, which created new leads about the woman’s identity. Forensic genetic genealogy is used to try to find a DNA match to a person’s relatives, rather than finding a direct match to the person. It has been used to identify both victims and perpetrators of crimes.

Those genealogy leads were provided to investigators who launched a follow-up investigation. Investigators interviewed potential relatives, and collected a reference DNA sample from one possible relative. That sample was compared with the DNA profile created by Othram. 

The process allowed investigators to positively identify the remains as belonging to Leona Jean Keller. Keller was 37 years old when she died, Othram said. 

This is the 36th case in Florida where Othram has helped law enforcement identify a victim, according to the company.