Michigan True Crime: DNA Links Serial Killer to 2006 Murder

The Detroit police, working with cutting-edge DNA analysis provided by Texas-based Othram Inc., have solved a nearly two-decades-long murder and identified the remains of a Michigan Jane Doe.

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US News reports Darylnn Washington, 46, went without a name since her body was found in 2006, but thanks to DNA technology, she not only has her identity back, but those she's left behind now know it was a Detroit-based serial killer who took her life.

New DNA Advancements Bring New Life to Old Evidence

After being nameless for nearly 20 years, DNA evidence has given her name back and named her killer, Shelly Brooks. Brooks had been convicted in 2006 for two murders and linked to at least five others. He preyed on vulnerable women, leaving their bodies in desolate spots across Detroit.

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Washington's remains were found in an abandoned house, but her identity remained a mystery until police turned to Othram Inc. for a DNA profile. They could trace family connections and break the news to her family. Jackson Vidaurri, a spokesperson for the Detroit Police Department, called the technology "amazing" in an interview with WXYZ TV.

Following a Serial Killer's Trail

Shelly Brooks, already serving a life sentence, terrorized Detroit as he began murdering women he'd hired for sex. Washington's family had long suspected Brooks was somehow connected to her death. Still, they finally received that morbid confirmation thanks to good evidence collection, preservation, and new DNA analysis advancements.

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This case highlights DNA's role in solving Michigan cold cases. Washington's case, according to DNASolves, is the ninth solved in Michigan thanks to Othram's techniques. Organizations like the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) continue to support investigations like this in the Mitten State and around the country.