A Washington cold case involving a woman's foot found in a New Balance sneaker has been solved

Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY
·3 min read
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A foot that was discovered near a river in northwest Washington in 2021 has finally been identified as a woman who went missing more than five years ago, authorities said.

In December 2021, the Clallam County (Wash.) Sheriff’s Office received a report about a foot inside a sneaker near the mouth of the Elwha River in Port Angeles, just south of the U.S.-Canada border. Investigators determined it was a woman’s size 8 New Balance brand shoe, but that's all they were able to find at the time, the sheriff's office said.

Over one year later, with the help of DNA testing, authorities were finally able to confirm the foot belonged to 68-year-old Jerilyn L. Smith.

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Cold case: Found foot leads to 'a mystery'

When the foot was found, Clallam County Sheriff’s Office investigators attempted to identify who it belonged to, but due to the "limited recovery" of the remains, they were unable to determine anything about the woman's physical attributes.

"Despite our efforts, the woman’s identity has remained a mystery. With few leads for investigators to pursue, the case eventually went cold," authorities said in January, asking the public to help identify the woman.

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DNA testing helps identify Jerilyn L. Smith

In 2022, authorities worked with Othram, a private lab in Texas, to see if forensic DNA testing could help identify the woman or a close relative, with crowdfunding used through DNASolves to cover the cost.

The lab eventually found a possible ID, with a list of surviving family members linked to the possible identity. Authorities contacted one of the possible family members, who provided a voluntarily DNA sample to the Othram Labs. The lab confirmed a match, identifying the foot belonging to Smith.

What we know about Jerilyn L. Smith

Authorities said Smith is from Sequim, about 20 miles east from where her foot was found. She was reported missing on Jan. 7, 2018.

Clallam County Sheriff Brian King told USA TODAY Smith was presumed to have drowned the month she went missing, and a death certificate has been issued.

Authorities said Smith's family was grateful for the crowdfunding to identify the remains.

"The Clallam County Sheriff’s Office would also like to thank all those who participated in funding the DNA research on this case that ultimately helped a family with having some semblance of closure during the grieved loss of their loved one," authorities said.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Washington cold case solved: Victim ID'd by foot, shoe found in 2021