Pregnant Woman Who Was Found Dead Floating in Basement 32 Years Ago Is Finally Identified

"Now we are able to attach her name," police said of the woman, who has been identified by Indiana's Allen County Coroner’s Office as Tabetha Ann Murlin

The remains of a pregnant woman found in a flooded Indiana basement in 1992 have now been identified 32 years later, authorities said.

During a press conference this week, the Allen County Coroner's Office revealed that the body was identified as Tabetha Ann Murlin following the acquisition of DNA that was provided by her father.

"She has been Mary Jane Doe to us for these years," coroner Dr. Jon Brandenberger told reporters, according to ABC affiliate WPTA. "And now we are able to attach her name and family. So it's an exciting day for us, although couched in the sadness of a loss."

Murlin was found dead and wrapped in a blanket in a flooded basement by a construction worker renovating a home in Fort Wayne on May 15, 1992, multiple outlets including CBS affiliate WANE and CNN reported.

The Allen County Coroner's Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

Related: Indiana Father Had 10,000 Fragments of Human Remains on His Property. Police Are Still IDing Victims

At the time of the discovery of Murlin's remains, a cause of death could not be determined and she was later buried at Lindenwood Cemetery on May 21, 1992, Brandenberger said, per CNN. A Fort Wayne Police Department investigation eventually went cold.

Brandenberger said her body was “very badly decomposed” and the office believed that she had been dead since 1991 or early 1992, per WANE. Despite the case going cold, it eventually entered the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System in 2016.

Citing a press release, WANE reported that the then-unidentified body was exhumed for testing in 2017 with a femur bone sent to the University of North Texas’ Center for Human Identification for DNA testing to create a profile. Two years later, a clay facial reconstruction was released by officials.

While the DNA profile itself did not result in any matches at the time, per CNN, companies Intermountain Forensics and Ignite DNA began to sequence the DNA in 2023 and found a match between Murlin, her father, Robert Bowers, her late mother and two aunts.

Related: Family Went to Clean Out Home After Man’s Death. Then They Found Human Remains in the Basement: 'Scary'

Bowers was confirmed as "Mary Jane Doe's" father using DNA from a swab of his cheek. He also confirmed he had last seen his daughter in 1988, according to the reports.

"She had a name, she had a family, she had a life, she was pregnant," Brandenberger told local outlet WFFT.

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According to the outlet, Bowers did not know his daughter was dead until he heard from the coroner a month before the announcement. "I couldn't believe it, I couldn't believe she died," he said. "I can't. I thought she was still alive somewhere."

Robert Bowers Jr., Murlin's brother, told reporters that he was thankful to have answers as to her whereabouts over the last three decades. "This is good, but we need to find out what happened," he said.

Murlin's aunt, Angelina Privitt, said, per CNN, which cited case documents, that Murlin married husband Jerry Murlin in 1987. The couple reportedly separated in 1988 and had not filed for divorce before Murlin was reported missing.

He reportedly last saw his wife in 1989, chief investigator Christopher A. Meihls of the coroner's office said, per CNN. Authorities who spoke with Murlin's estranged husband described him at the press conference as currently "merely just a witness."

"This was such a team effort," Brandenberger said at the press conference. "From our office to the state police to the different places around the country where the DNA went. Totally team effort, not by one individual or one office. But by an entire team of people, which I am very grateful for."

"And to the Bowers, I would say to you, as you mentioned when we were talking, that this is Tabetha's day. And you've been waiting to have a day for her for all of this time."

Murlin's brother launched a GoFundMe fundraiser earlier this week to raise money toward a new headstone for his sister.

"Needing funds for a rebuild and headstone. She was unidentified for 32 Years named Mary Jane Doe. She was 26 weeks pregnant at the time of her death," he wrote. "Thank you in advance for any donations."

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