'Killing Fields': 2 female victims identified, League City police say

Bodies of women found in 1991, 1986

LEAGUE CITY, Texas – Two women who were found dead in connection with the 'Killing Fields' murders in League City have been identified, according to police.

League City police said investigators were able to use genetic testing to determine the identities of Jane Doe and Janet Doe. They will reveal their identities during a 10:30 a.m. Monday news conference.

The body of Jane Doe was found Feb. 2, 1986, in the oil fields at the end of Calder Road in League City

On Sept. 8, 1991, the skeletal remains of Janet Doe were discovered in the same oil field area.

The latter discovery was the fourth woman's body found over a seven-year period in the area.

Investigators were unable to identify the two women over the past several decades until now, months after computer-generated sketches of the two women were released.

In December 2018, League City police said they enlisted the help of forensic DNA analysis to help generate leads in identifying Janet Doe by predicting her physical appearance and ancestry.

Through the DNA phenotyping, experts predicted Janet Doe most likely had fair skin, hazel eyes, brown hair and few or no freckles and likely has a family origin of Louisiana. In addition, a depiction of what the woman may have looked like at age 25 was sketched.

Snapshot profile of Janet Doe

Coroners estimated that the woman was 24 to 34 years old, between 5 feet and 5 feet, 3 inches tall and weighed 100 to 130 pounds. They also predicted the woman had died six weeks to several months prior to her body being found.

The coroners reported several old, healed injuries that were unrelated to her death, including that her first and second ribs showed healed fractures at the spine, a compression injury to her upper spine in three places and a poorly healed compression injury to her lower spine, all of which, in additional to poor dental condition, led experts to believe the injuries were likely the result of a singular injury event that happened sometime before the homicide. She may have also had problems with her head or spinal movements.

DNA results indicate the woman's extended family may have originated in Broussard, Lafayette Parish, New Iberia, Abbeville, Breaux Bridge and St. Martin.

READ: How does Snapshot DNA technology work?

In the Jane Doe case, using the same DNA phenotyping, experts were able to predict the woman likely had very fair skin, blue or green eyes, blonde or brown hair, few or no freckles and likely had a family origin of Tennessee.

In addition, a depiction of what the woman may have looked like at age 25 was sketched.

Snapshot profile of Jane Doe

Coroners estimate the woman was 22 to 30 years old, 5 feet, 5 inches to 5 feet, 8 inches tall and that she died six weeks to six months prior to her body being found.

Police said the woman had a gunshot wound to her back.

Coroners reported the woman had old, healed injuries that were unrelated to her death, including fractures to her fourth and fifth ribs that were likely the result of a singular event. They also reported she had a noticeable gap in the upper portion of her front teeth.