This Chicago Black Woman Mysteriously Vanished in the 1980s, and We’re Just Now Learning the Truth About Her

Thirty-seven years ago, a 71-year-old Black woman walked out of her Chicago home on a frigid December day and was never heard from again. For decades, the body of that missing woman was known only as “New Buffalo Jane Doe” and was mistakenly presumed to be a much younger white woman.

This week, Michigan State Police confirmed that Jane Doe is Dorothy Glanton, the missing Chicago woman who vanished in 1987. Her body was discovered in Lake Michigan near New Buffalo, Mich., roughly four months after she disappeared.

At the time, investigators described the woman as “Caucasian and estimated to be between 43-53 years old,” according to DNA Doe Project, a nonprofit that works to identify unknown remains through genetic genealogy. The organization noted she was believed to be “5’5” and 165 pounds, with brown eyes, and wearing a brown wig with braided extensions.”

That assessment was based solely on what was visible when the body was recovered in 1988, when law enforcement was just beginning to use DNA evidence.

“Unfortunately, these kinds of mistakes were relatively common in the era prior to DNA analysis and the widespread use of forensic anthropology,” DNA Doe Project wrote in a statement. The group also noted that Glanton’s genealogy records were “difficult to locate,” a challenge that they see frequently in African American cases.

As the years passed, Glanton’s case remained unsolved. In 2023, Michigan State Police collaborated with DNA Doe Project. During the search, volunteers uncovered heartbreaking records showing that someone once tried to contact Glanton for her sick mother, a message that never reached her. Their efforts ultimately broke the case open.

Online, many people expressed relief that Glanton was finally identified.

One Facebook user wrote, “Glad she has her name back. This isn’t the first case I’ve seen where investigators had the race wrong because of the length of time a body has been in the water.”

Another person on Instagram called the identification “tragic and heartbreaking,” adding they were grateful Glanton was no longer nameless.

A separate Facebook commenter wrote, “I’ve seen a couple episodes of the show using DNA Doe Project to identify people and in some cases reconnect families. Such a wonderful use of technology. They are barely scratching the surface.”

Glanton’s cause of death is still unknown.