On Oct. 2, 1976, the body of a Black woman between the ages of 15-27 was found by a local farmer in a ditch along U.S. Route 6 near Holderman Hill.The Grundy County Coroner's Office said the victim had been shot in the head and left in a rural area.After time passed with no significant leads, the victim, who was known as Jane Seneca Doe, was buried in an unmarked grave at the Braceville-Gardner Cemetery on Thanksgiving Day 1976.
In 2017, the case was reopened by the coroner's office. Her remains were exhumed in December 2018 and in 2019, the coroner partnered with the DNA Doe Project to use modern-day forensic science techniques and technology to identify her.She was identified as JoAnn ‘Vicky’ Smith of Cincinnati, Ohio. Officials said most didn't know she existed because she was adopted. Her brother said both of Vicky's families are processing the bittersweet feelings.