Decades after 10-year-old Amy Mihaljevic was taken from Bay Village in 1989, her family is turning to the public to help pay for the kind of DNA testing that was science fiction back then. Recent forensic work has uncovered traces of male DNA on clothing from the case, and relatives say the next round of tests could be key. The hitch: those tests are expensive, and Bay Village police and the FBI are still working the case while the family asks the community to help shoulder the lab costs.
GoFundMe Launches As Family Bets On New DNA Tests
According to The Morning Journal, Amy’s mother, Georgette Mihaljevic, set up a GoFundMe on June 7 with a $20,000 goal. By that day, the page showed $3,075 raised from 44 donors. She told the paper that a single advanced DNA test runs about $7,000, which is why the family plans to put all proceeds into an “Amy Fund” held at the Bay Village Police Department.
The idea is to pay for multiple rounds of high-end forensic testing that local investigators say could prove decisive. If one test does not produce a usable result, the fund would give detectives the option to try again instead of waiting for grant cycles or agency budgets to catch up.
5K, Walk And Memorials Put Fundraising On The Move
Neighbors are stepping in with their own plans, turning fundraising into something you can literally run with. Community organizers are lining up a memorial walk and a 5K to bring in more cash for the lab work. A RunSignUp page for the “Amy Mihaljevic 5K Run, Walk & Kids Dash” lists October 24 at Cahoon Park and notes that 100% of the proceeds will go toward DNA test kits.
Organizers say the run, walk, and related memorial events are meant to supplement the GoFundMe campaign and help cover lab fees that are not otherwise provided by law enforcement. Together, the private fundraising and community efforts are designed to keep the forensic work moving and Amy’s name front and center.
Inside The Investigation: What Detectives Are Still Chasing
Per the FBI, Amy was abducted from the Bay Village Square shopping center on October 27, 1989. Her body was found months later, on February 8, 1990, in a field off Township Road 1181 in Ashland County.
Investigators say they have recovered traces of male DNA from Amy’s clothing and are now pursuing modern testing techniques that older methods could not complete. The FBI is offering up to $25,000 for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the case.
Three items believed to have been with Amy at the time she disappeared have never been recovered: a turquoise horse earring, a pair of black ankle boots, and a black leather binder. Those missing pieces remain part of what detectives are still hoping the public can help them find.
Family And Police Insist The Case Is Still Wide Open
Bay Village police Sgt. Edward Chapman told The Morning Journal that “the investigation, for sure, is open,” and said detectives will keep pushing on any forensic lead they can get. The family’s hope is that privately raised money will let them greenlight specialized tests and analyses as soon as labs are ready, instead of waiting in line.
Relatives and neighbors describe the fundraising drive as both practical and deeply symbolic. On the one hand, it is about buying lab time and paying invoices. On the other hand, it is about making sure Amy’s case does not fade from public view while there are still scientific tools left to try.
Why The New DNA Testing Push Matters Now
Experts say today’s advanced extraction and sequencing work can sometimes pull usable DNA profiles from samples that are tiny or badly degraded. That kind of cutting-edge testing, however, is painstaking and costly, especially when multiple rounds are needed.
Local reporting has detailed how detectives identified trace male DNA on Amy’s clothing and have been exploring new laboratory options to turn that into a profile. Cleveland19 has tracked those developments closely. The family’s GoFundMe and the planned 5K and memorial events are meant to give investigators the budget room for several attempts if labs recommend it.
How To Help Or Share Tips
Donations and event information are being coordinated by Amy’s family, with details summarized in the report from The Morning Journal.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Bay Village Police Department at 440-871-1234 or to submit tips to the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI. The city also maintains an online Amy Mihaljevic tip sheet and case page for people who prefer to share information in writing.
