After nearly five decades, a cold case from 1975 in Ontario has been solved with the help of genetic genealogy, a DNA testing method used to find genetic matches and uncover ancestral information.
The unidentified remains of a woman, discovered floating in the Nation River near the Highway 417 bridge, south of Casselman, Ont., on May 3, 1975, have finally been identified. Referred to as the “Nation River Lady” due to the location where she was found, the case had remained unsolved for years.
The breakthrough came when the DNA Doe Project (DDP), a non-profit organization dedicated to identifying individuals in cold cases and reuniting them with their families, was approached by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in 2019 for assistance.
In 2020, the DDP created a DNA profile and uploaded it to two genetic genealogy databases, GEDmatch Pro and Family Tree DNA. Through careful analysis of matches and thorough investigation of historical records, the organization’s team of volunteer investigative genetic genealogists identified Jewell Parchman Langford as a likely candidate within a few weeks.
According to the DDP, they were fortunate to have close genetic matches and discovered newspaper articles specifically mentioning Jewell Langford’s disappearance, making the identification process relatively swift. However, the organization expressed sadness that Jewell’s mother had spent years searching for her daughter and passed away without knowing her fate.
The case of the Nation River Lady was revisited in 2017, when the OPP released a 3D clay facial reconstruction of the woman. Described as a white female between 25 and 50 years old, approximately 5’2″ to 5’8″ in height, of average build, weighing around 100 pounds, with brown hair dyed reddish blond, she was found wrapped in two pieces of green cloth, with her hands and feet bound by neckties. Additionally, a cleaning cloth, a black cable, and a curtain rod were discovered near her body.
The OPP has scheduled a media briefing on Wednesday to provide further information about the case. The identification of Jewell Parchman Langford brings hope for closure and justice to her family after decades of uncertainty.