After nearly three decades of anonymity, the woman once known as "Falls Road Jane Doe" finally has a name. Leoria Smith, last seen in 1984 when she was 20 years old and a young mother, was identified through advanced DNA technology provided by DNA Labs International (DLI) in collaboration with the Baltimore County Police Department. According to the official statement, Leoria's mysterious disappearance never reached the detectives since it was never reported to authorities.
In March 1996, human remains were discovered in a wooded area off Falls Road, dressed in blue jeans, a blouse with dark pinstripes, a leather jacket, and high-top shoes with two gold hoop earrings. Despite extensive efforts, detectives couldn't identify the person, and the remains became known as "Falls Road Jane Doe." It wasn't until April 2021, when the Baltimore County Police Department used a private forensic DNA lab, DLI's ForenSeq Kintelligence System, that a DNA profile was created. This eventually led to identifying the remains as belonging to Leoria through investigative genetic genealogy.
The Baltimore County Police Department has credited DLI for its key role in solving this case. DLI’s advanced genetic profiling and genealogy techniques helped generate leads, thanks to their over 20 years of experience helping law enforcement with cold cases. While Jane Doe's identity has been uncovered, the circumstances of her death are still unknown. Detectives are now looking for people who may have known Leoria or have photos of her, urging anyone with information to come forward.
Those with information are implored to contact Baltimore County detectives at 410-887-3943 or provide details through the Baltimore County iWATCH program, joining a collective effort to give the silenced a voice and bring peace after decades of questions.
