HOUSTON – After more than 30 years, a Jane Doe found in Harris County has finally been identified as Joann Zamora. Her death is now being investigated as a homicide.
Zamora’s remains were found on Sept. 8, 1992, by a passerby in a wooded area near Houston. At the time, she was described as a white woman between 20 and 30 years old, standing about 5-foot-1, with brown hair and distinctive dental work. Despite extensive efforts by law enforcement, her identity remained a mystery for more than three decades.
For decades, she was buried in the Harris County Cemetery with a headstone simply marked “Unknown.”
Her daughter, Spencer Graham, was just two years old when she last spoke to her mother.
“I knew that she was supposed to come see me one Easter and I was really happy to hear from her on the phone, really excited,” Spencer recalled. “Then never heard from her again.”
Despite the passage of time, Spencer held onto hope that her mother had left on her own and would be found alive. But as she grew older, suspicions arose.
“The story was that her boyfriend said she just left with his car, his keys, and some money. Growing up, we were told she left. Now as an adult, it clicked that maybe he had something to do with it,” Spencer said.
In 2024, Moxxy Forensic Investigations launched a crowdfunded effort to use investigative genetic genealogy to identify her.
The work officially began in December and led to an identification earlier this year. Intermountain Forensics extracted DNA from Zamora’s remains, enabling genealogists to build her family tree and confirm her identity.
PREVIOUS: Harris County Jane Doe identified after 32 years
“Words cannot fully express what it means to finally have answers after more than 32 years,” said Spencer. “While the outcome is not what we had hoped for, we are deeply grateful to those who cared enough to seek the truth about a stranger who had no name and stood alone for so long.”
Spencer described her mother as a vibrant woman who loved life and had a fun personality.
“She loved Mr. Gattis, which I love too. Maybe that’s where I get it from,” Spencer said.
Investigators say Zamora was the victim of a homicide. The Houston Police Department is leading the ongoing investigation into her death.
“This accomplishment underscores the power of genetic genealogy in modern investigations,” said Derrick Levasseur, founder of Criminal Coffee Co., which is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. The work, funded in part by Criminal Coffee Co., helped bring answers to a case that had remained unresolved for more than three decades.
Katie Thomas, co-founder of Moxxy Forensic Investigations, said her team of eight volunteer genealogists worked tirelessly on the case.
“Joann was never just a case number to us—she was someone’s mother, someone’s daughter, someone who mattered,” Thomas said. “Every person deserves to have their name returned, and we are honored to have helped bring Joann home.”
Moxxy is continuing its work to identify other Harris County Jane Does, including a case from 1994, and is seeking donations to support DNA testing and genealogical research.
Visiting her mother’s grave for the first time brought mixed emotions for Spencer, but she is hoping for justice.
“I finally got to say, we know where you are now, but at the same time it was super heartbreaking,” Spencer said. “It’s unfair that somebody decided to do this to her.”
Anyone with information about Zamora’s death is urged to contact Houston Police Department Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477. Authorities are offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest.