DNA and genealogy testing has confirmed the identity of a woman whose body was found in Toledo in 1987, Toledo police said. Her identity was confirmed as 18-year-old Tammy Lowe of Taylor, Michigan.
Toledo police partnered with the Porchlight Project to identify Lowe’s remains in October, 2024, after previous attempts proved unsuccessful. The Porchlight Project funded genetic testing through Othram, a laboratory in Woodlands, Texas.
Police said in a press release Tuesday that a possible relative of Lowe’s was located in Michigan. Law enforcement agencies including the Ohio Bureau of Investigation, Toledo Police Department and the Lucas County Coroner’s Office located family members; a DNA test confirmed the match, TPD said, and Lowe was formally identified on March 20.
Lowe’s body was discovered behind an auto repair shop on Collingwood Boulevard near I-75 on June 16, 1987. Police did not specifically say if her death was being investigated as a homicide.
“The Toledo Police Department has never given up on giving this young woman her name,” said Porchlight Project spokesman Nic Edwards in a press release in October, following the announcement that the Porchlight Project would be funding an investigation into her identity.
The Porchlight Project is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that offers funding for DNA testing and genetic genealogy for Ohio cold cases.