After 25 years, Weatherford police have finally identified a woman found dead behind a truck stop in 1998, thanks to advances in DNA technology.
The woman had died by suicide, but investigators were unable to determine her identity at the time. In 2023, Lt. Johnny Qualls revisited the case and discovered that the victim’s teeth were still available for testing. The department sent the samples to a private lab in The Woodlands, where new DNA techniques helped identify family members with a matching genetic profile.
Qualls then contacted a man named David, a relative of the woman, and confirmed her identity. "It’s extremely satisfying," Qualls said of the breakthrough.
Following the success of the case, Tarrant County and Weatherford officials have pledged additional funding to support DNA testing for other cold cases.
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