COVERT TOWNSHIP, Mich. - Michigan State Police detectives are hoping to solve a mysterious 1988 cold case death with new artistic renderings and findings.
The skeletal remains of a woman, only known as '196 Jane' were discovered on Oct. 12, 1988, just along I-196 at County Road 378 in Van Buren County. Detectives believe 196 Jane died between April and August, before her remains were found by a hunter.
New evidence gathered from her remains show 196 Jane had signs of osteopenia, a precursor to osteoporosis. According to MSP, osteopenia can be caused by drinking a lot of alcohol, smoking, eating disorders, long-time steroid use, vitamin deficiencies and teen pregnancy.
Investigators say 196 Jane had given birth to at least one child, and could have been as young as 15 or as old as 40 years. It's more likely that she was between 18 and 30 years old.
196 Jane was about 5 feet tall, around 100 pounds and had brown hair. Through her remains, detectives say she had good oral hygiene, but may have not seen a dentist for a few years.
You can view 196 Jane's case profile on the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) database. If you have any information about the case, please contact D/Sgt. Scott Ernstes at 269-657-5551.
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April Stevens is a multi-platform producer at WZZM 13. Have a news tip? Email news@wzzm13.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter.