DOE ID: Sadie Belle Murray AKA Sarah Sharkey
Summary
This episode details the 1971 homicide of an unidentified woman found beaten and possibly sexually assaulted in Howard County, Maryland. After decades of cold case work, investigators used DNA from preserved histology slides to identify the victim as Sarah Sharkey, a Pennsylvania woman who vanished in the 1960s. The breakthrough led to the reunion of her estranged adult children, who had been separated since childhood. The case remains open as police search for the missing evidence and suspect responsible for her death.
Topics discussed
Intro and sponsor reads
Discovery of Jane Doe on Woodstock Road
Condition of the victim and initial evidence
Hospital diagnosis and lack of ID
Medical complications and brain surgery
Efforts to identify the victim via media
Jane Doe's coma and death in 1971
Autopsy findings and homicide ruling
Body disposal and sexual assault evidence
Discovery of preserved tissue slides in 2014
Entry into NamUs and Doe Network
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2019 investigation and AI facial rendering
DNA extraction from 50-year-old slides
Genealogical analysis and contact with Chuck
DNA confirmation of son Chuck Sharkey
Background on Sarah Sharkey and family history
Infant deaths and family dissolution
Children sent to orphanage and Sarah's disappearance
Reuniting siblings Chuck and Marie
Siblings' separate lives and trauma
Search for sister Judith and her ashes
The family reunion in 2026
Police statement and family reactions
Open case details and father's alibi
Missing clothing evidence and search efforts
Call for DNA volunteers and reward
Outro and subscription information
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