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326:. She had two brothers, Bob and Charles, both of whom are deceased. Nancy Cumming, a friend from her high school days has published several photos of her when she was 19 and her bridesmaid. Another classmate Paula Headley, said Silvani had an affinity for art and reading, visited the
298:
In July 2018, the Washoe County
Sheriff's Office announced that the victim had been tentatively identified. In September her identity was confirmed, but the police withheld it due to their open homicide investigation. Silvani's identity was further confirmed through a
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yearbook has a photo of her, but the school has no record of her graduating, and she did not have a senior photo taken. After her father died when she was 16, she became homeless. Her mother had left her when she was a child and spent much of her life in
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Her last meal was a salad. She was originally believed to be from Europe, due to the nature of an inoculation scar on her arm and her dental work. An independent dental examination in 2010 discredited this original assumption.
253:. In addition, one of her toenails had a large bruise underneath. The woman had hazel eyes, was around 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m) in height, weighed 112 lb (51 kg), and had brown hair tied back in a bun.
342:; relatives say she died in 1980. Silvani's closest living relative is believed to be her nephew, Robert Silvani Jr., who never met her. She had a child who she gave up for adoption about 1972.
260:
She was dressed for a day at the lake: jeans and a tee-shirt over a blue bathing suit. Close forensic inspection helped police determine the t-shirt was sold only on the
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164:. The Washoe County Sheriff's Office announced her identity on May 7, 2019. Silvani was identified through DNA analysis and genetic genealogy with assistance from the
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As of May 2019, Silvani's case is considered closed. It is the first known case in which both the victim and perpetrator were identified through the use of
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and shot in the back of the head as she was bending over, possibly to tie her shoes. The bullet hole on her head had been covered with men's underwear.
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and
Identifinders International to employ this new method of identifying victims and perpetrators to help solve Jane Doe's case.
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291:. With the thought that this could aid in solving cold cases, the county contacted Dr. Fitzpatrick, eventually turning to both
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Silvani moved to
California sometime between 1974 and 1982, but investigators have been unable to locate anyone who knew her.
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580:"Sheriff's Cold Case Unit proposes new theory for 1983 Murder Case and ask for the public's help with identifying the victim"
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Curry was arrested
January 6, 1983 as a suspect in another murder. He confessed to two more murders to police. He committed
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The body of a woman aged between 25 and 35 was found by hikers on July 17, 1982, in Sheep's Flat, a popular hiking area in
413:
384:
186:, Silvani was 33 when she was killed. She was the only daughter of John and Blanche Silvani, and had two brothers.
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At her autopsy, a vaccination scar was located on her left arm, and another on her abdomen, possibly from a
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315:). Her identity as Mary Edith Silvani was announced on May 7, 2019, along with the name of her killer.
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264:, leading investigators to believe that she may have visited or had been residing in one of the
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702:"She was killed 37 years ago — and her friends just found out: 'She was my bridesmaid'"
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The
Sheriff's Office announced that her murderer had been confirmed as serial killer
484:"37 years later, detectives ID woman slain in Lake Tahoe and the man who killed her"
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107:
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Not long after the victim was identified, Identifinders
International, led by Dr.
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jeans, and a one-piece swimsuit underneath. The shirt had been sold at stores in
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727:"DNA reveals identity of woman killed in Nevada in 1982 — she was from Detroit"
672:"DNA reveals identity of woman killed in Nevada in 1982 — she was from Detroit"
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357:, identified James Richard Curry as the man believed to be Silvani's murderer.
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The victim wore a light yellow pair of tennis shoes, a sleeveless blue shirt,
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in July 1982. She was unidentified for 37 years, the investigation becoming a
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In
February 2018, a Washoe County forensic investigator went to a lecture on
414:"Thanks to DNA sleuths, cops ID Jane Doe and her killer in decades-old case"
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frequently, was quiet and kind-hearted, and never talked about her family.
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753:"Suspect in 37-year-old unsolved Lake Tahoe homicide linked to Bay Area"
448:"How Volunteer Sleuths Identified a Hiker and Her Killer After 36 Years"
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361:
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152:" while unidentified, was an American woman found shot to death near
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jail a day after his arrest. He is a suspect in a fourth murder.
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She was buried at Our Mother of
Sorrows Catholic Cemetery in
245:, approximating her appearance at the time she died.
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89:
75:
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59:
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521:National Missing and Unidentified Persons System
144:(September 29, 1948 – July 17, 1982), known as "
633:"Sheep Flat Jane Doe - DNA Doe Project Cases"
412:Almasy, Steve; Boyette, Chris (May 7, 2019).
8:
507:
505:
168:and utilizing the public genealogy database
390:List of serial killers in the United States
29:
18:
106:Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic Cemetery,
482:Reyes-Velarde, Alejandra (May 8, 2019).
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322:on September 29, 1948, and grew up in
118:Over 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
838:July 1982 events in the United States
695:
693:
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550:"Sheep's Flat Jane Doe: What we know"
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848:Sexual assaults in the United States
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823:Incidents of violence against women
307:, who had arrested her in 1974 for
523:. January 20, 2011. Archived from
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808:1982 murders in the United States
858:Violence against women in Nevada
751:Hernandez, Laura (8 May 2019).
373:investigative genetic genealogy
318:Mary Edith Silvani was born in
262:West Coast of the United States
584:Washoe County Sheriff's Office
578:McCaskill, Jeff (2015-07-15).
446:Murphy, Heather (2019-05-11).
366:Santa Clara County, California
1:
670:Baldas, Tresa (May 9, 2019).
781:Coverage of the case in the
700:Baldas, Tresa (2019-06-07).
813:Deaths by firearm in Nevada
385:List of homicides in Nevada
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853:Victims of serial killers
328:Detroit Institute of Arts
305:Detroit Police Department
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132:Blanche Silvani (mother)
757:San Francisco Chronicle
71:July 17, 1982 (aged 33)
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150:Washoe County Jane Doe
863:Washoe County, Nevada
818:Female murder victims
637:DNA Doe Project Cases
335:Mackenzie High School
266:Western United States
236:
202:. The woman had been
196:Washoe County, Nevada
158:Washoe County, Nevada
146:Sheep's Flat Jane Doe
129:John Silvani (father)
554:Reno Gazette Journal
303:kept on file by the
16:American murder case
604:"Case File 156UFNV"
355:Colleen Fitzpatrick
340:mental institutions
289:Colleen Fitzpatrick
268:before her murder.
177:James Richard Curry
76:Cause of death
731:Detroit Free Press
706:Detroit Free Press
676:Detroit Free Press
527:on 16 October 2014
452:The New York Times
285:forensic genealogy
247:
204:sexually assaulted
142:Mary Edith Silvani
96:Lake Tahoe, Nevada
48:September 29, 1948
45:Mary Edith Silvani
513:"NamUs UP # 8427"
489:Los Angeles Times
320:Pontiac, Michigan
251:Caesarean section
184:Pontiac, Michigan
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52:Pontiac, Michigan
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833:July 1982 events
788:, from 1982–2000
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90:Body discovered
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35:Silvani in 1968
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279:Identification
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243:Carl Koppelman
241:of Silvani by
239:reconstruction
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783:Reno Gazette
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108:Reno, Nevada
23:Mary Silvani
828:1982 crimes
349:Perpetrator
313:misdemeanor
301:fingerprint
843:Lake Tahoe
797:Categories
736:22 October
711:2019-06-25
681:2019-05-11
617:October 9,
589:2018-09-04
559:2019-05-11
531:October 9,
495:2019-05-11
465:2019-05-11
423:2019-05-08
396:References
219:Washington
215:California
200:Lake Tahoe
154:Lake Tahoe
63:Identified
642:2 October
460:0362-4331
333:The 1966
309:loitering
211:Lee brand
190:Discovery
162:cold case
379:See also
182:Born in
170:GEDmatch
80:Homicide
786:Journal
364:in the
362:suicide
324:Detroit
287:by Dr.
198:, near
148:" and "
123:Parents
84:gunshot
762:13 May
458:
223:Oregon
115:Height
110:, U.S.
98:, U.S.
60:Status
54:, U.S.
764:2019
738:2021
644:2018
619:2014
533:2014
456:ISSN
221:and
68:Died
41:Born
418:CNN
311:(a
156:in
82:by
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
