25-year-old mother, wife, and Illinois resident, Susan Lund, disappeared on Christmas Eve almost thirty years ago in 1992. Local authorities and community members searched intensely for her for weeks after her disappearance but could find no trace of the woman.

In January of 1993, approximately a month after Lund went missing, law enforcement received word that two girls had found a decapitated head in Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park in southern Illinois. Authorities were able to determine some identifying features but could not guarantee for a fact that the victim was Lund. As a result, the victim was nicknamed “Ina Jane Doe” and both cases went unsolved for several decades. However, new forensic technology has recently aided police in confirming the identity of the victim.

Earlier this year, Santa Cruz, California-based company, Astrea Forensics, received samples from the Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park remains which were then used to build a DNA profile that could be used for a genealogical investigation. From there, a DNA profile was provided to Massachusetts genealogy company, Redgrave Research, who then uploaded the data file to GEDmatch on Feb. 3, 2022, and found a potential DNA match. This information was shared with law enforcement who then proceeded to follow up with family members of Susan Lund for additional confirmatory DNA testing. On March 11th, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office announced that the identity of the remains discovered in 1993 was, in fact, that of Susan Lund.

The collaborating investigators, scientists, and genealogists extend their deepest sympathies to Susan’s family and friends. Any information about the actions and/or whereabouts of Susan Lund should be directed to Detective Captain Bobby Wallace at the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office at (618) 244-8004 or email bwallace@jeffil.us.

About Astrea Forensics

Astrea Forensics™ was founded in 2019 by paleogeneticists to apply ancient DNA techniques and direct genome sequencing to difficult-to-solve forensic casework and the identification of human remains. Astrea’s proprietary methods make it possible to recover genetic profiles from rootless hair and other highly degraded samples that otherwise fail traditional forensic DNA testing. The Astrea™ technology will help empower law enforcement and genetic genealogy investigators in their mission to solve cold cases, and determine the identify of unknown individuals, whether days or decades old.