Decades-Old Mystery Solved: Missing Iowa Teen Identified After 46 Years

Using advanced DNA and genealogical analysis, authorities have identified a body found in 1978 as 15-year-old Helen Renee Groomes.

A body discovered in the Mississippi River in 1978 has been identified as Helen Renee Groomes, a teenager who disappeared from Ottumwa, Iowa.
The initial investigation misjudged the age and cause of death, but recent DNA analysis and genealogical research led to the breakthrough.
Anthropology students and faculty at Missouri State University played a key role in reanalyzing the remains.
The identification was made possible through forensic-grade genome sequencing by Othram, a private DNA laboratory.
The revelation has reopened the investigation into Groomes' disappearance and death, with her family expressing profound gratitude for the closure.