Woman identified 36 years after remains found in Tennessee. Could ties to Knox County solve her death?

A woman whose remains were found in 1987 in Roane County has been identified and is believed to have been living in the Knox County area, a spokesperson from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a press release.

Betty Lou Wisley, who was originally from Clinton, Missouri, was identified as a result of a partnership between the Roane County Sheriff's Office and TBI's Unidentified Human Remains DNA Initiative, the release said.

Wisley's body was discovered on Aug. 29, 1987, next to a garbage dumpster in the 2600 block of Highway 58 in Kingston. Forensic anthropologists determined that the remains were those of a white female, likely between the ages of 35 and 50. The victim had been burned after her death and discarded, the release said.

Roane County Sheriff’s Office investigators worked to determine the identity of the victim, but after exhausting all leads, they could not determine her identity, and she was classified as a Jane Doe.

In 2009, the University of Tennessee Forensic Anthropology Center submitted a sample of her remains to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A DNA profile was developed and entered into the Combined DNA Index System and the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System in hopes that the woman would eventually be identified.

In April, as part of the DNA initiative, TBI agents submitted another sample of the remains to Othram Inc., a private lab based in Texas, for forensic genetic genealogical DNA testing. Othram provided information about possible relatives and TBI agents made contact with one of those family members and obtained a familial DNA standard, sending it to Othram for comparison with the DNA of the unidentified woman.

Based on the DNA and forensic genealogy results, scientists at Othram confirmed the unidentified remains belonged to Wisley, who would have been 51 at the time her body was found. It was determined that Wisley was living in the Knox County area at the time of her death, the release said.

Roane County Sheriff's Office Investigators and TBI special agents are hoping the public can help piece together the events leading up to Wisley’s death. Anyone with information, specifically any knowledge about individuals she might have been with before her death, is asked to contact the Roane County Sheriff's Office at 865-717-4722 or email tips to awolff@roanesheriff.org.

Liz Kellar is a Tennessee Connect reporter. Email liz.kellar@knoxnews.com.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee cold case: Betty Lou Wisley ID'd 36 years after remains found