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DNA match helps authorities identify remains of Indiana girl after nearly 4 decades

DNA Illustration
Posted at 12:51 PM, Aug 31, 2022
and last updated 2022-08-31 12:51:26-04

Skeletal remains found in Tennessee nearly 40 years ago have been identified as a young female, and authorities know what happened to her.

Authorities say Tracy Sue Walker went missing from the Lafayette, Indiana, area in 1978. Her remains were found in Campbell County, Tennessee, in 1985.

This year, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says a sample of Walker's remains was sent to a lab that analyzes human DNA.

The lab provided investigators with a possible relative, who was living in Indiana.

Investigators say they located potential family members, obtained their DNA and determined Walker was related to them.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation still doesn't know how Walker got to the state or the circumstances surrounding her death.

Anyone who can assist with the investigation is asked to call 1-800-TBI-FIND.