FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — A forensics lab in Texas hopes to finally find the answer to who exactly "the Christmas Tree Lady" is over 25 years after police found her body at a cemetery in Annandale.
The case dates back to December of 1996 when the body of an older woman was found dead with a small Christmas tree near her in the section for infant burials at Pleasant Valley Memorial Park.
A note was found with her body that led police to believe she died by suicide by putting a plastic bag over her head and suffocating. In the note, the woman referred to herself as "Jane Doe."
Over two decades later, the identity of "the Christmas Tree Lady" still remains unknown.
However, an effort to raise money for DNA testing in her case recently began.
Othram, which is based in Texas and specializes in forensic genealogy, said on Monday that its staff was recently contacted by the Fairfax County Police Department about assisting with identifying the body.
"When the police department spoke to our case manager, they expressed they didn’t have funding for this case," said Kristen Mittelman, the Chief Development Officer at Othram. "The science isn’t the barrier anymore. What the barrier seems to be time and time again is funding.”
The group hopes to raise at least $5,000 for the DNA testing. As of Monday, almost $1,200 had been raised.
According to Othram, the woman had an eight-inch vertical scar on her abdomen believed to be from a c-section.
By identifying who the woman is, Mittelman said she could finally bring some answers to her family.
"Someone out there is waiting to find out who she is," she said. "Without being able to identify her, we can’t piece together the last little bit of her life. We can’t know why she decided to write that note and take her life if that’s what happened. We have no answers.”
Aside from doing DNA testing, Mittelman said Othram planned to build a family tree for the woman and contact investigators in hopes they can find surviving connections.
"The loss of a loved one can be difficult no matter the circumstances," Fairfax County Police Department Major Ed O’Carroll said in a March 2 Facebook post. "However, losing someone with unanswered questions can lead to an increased sense of unpredictability and a decreased sense of safety. Our detectives want to do what they can to identify Jane Doe and bring her family answers. We are hoping the latest in technology that did not exist twenty-five years ago can help us find those answers for those she left behind."
To donate to the effort to identify "the Christmas Tree Lady," visit this link.