Body found in Georgia 37 years ago identified as missing Seminole County woman

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — A woman who was found along a Georgia highway 37 years ago has been identified thanks to genealogical DNA analysis.

On May 14, 1985, a passerby found a woman injured and unconscious along Highway 91 near Newton, Georgia.

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The unidentified woman was taken to a nearby hospital where she later died from her injuries.

For the next 27 years the woman’s identity would remain unknown.

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Then in 2012, investigators exumed the woman’s body and collected a sample of bone to be submitted for DNA analysis.

After the tests did not develop any leads Investigators turned to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a genealogical DNA analysis.

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In October 2022, investigators were able to identify the woman as Mary Anga Cowan, a Seminole County woman who had been missing since 1985.

Investigators were able confirm Cowan’s identity after comparing her DNA with that of one of her children.

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