Remains of ‘Swamp Mountain Jane Doe’ identified after 49 years in Oregon

The Deschutes River at Dillon Falls in Oregon’s Cascade region. Authorities say DNA testing has identified remains found in the Central Cascades in 1976 as those of a woman missing since 1974.
Authorities in Oregon say they have identified the remains of a woman who went missing nearly 50 years ago, finally solving a decades-old cold case.
The remains found near a creek in Oregon’s Central Cascades in 1976, long known as "Swamp Mountain Jane Doe," have been confirmed as belonging to Marion Vinetta Nagle McWhorter, who disappeared in 1974. The identification was made possible through DNA testing and genealogy records, according to an Associated Press report.

Who was ‘Swamp Mountain Jane Doe’?

What we know:
McWhorter was last seen at a shopping mall in Tigard, Oregon, in October 1974. She was 21 years old at the time and had plans to travel to Seattle and eventually Alaska.
In 1976, her remains were found near Swamp Mountain Creek, but the case went unsolved for decades. Oregon State Police said a bone sample was first submitted to the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification in 2010, allowing a DNA profile to be added to the national missing persons database NamUs.
In 2020, another sample was processed, creating a more detailed genetic marker profile. The breakthrough came in April 2023, when a first cousin once removed uploaded their genetic profile to FamilyTreeDNA, providing a key link for investigators.
McWhorter’s younger sister, Valerie Nagle, later provided DNA that confirmed the match.
"This case was cold for 49 years. That means that family members lived and died without ever knowing what happened to their missing loved one," said State Forensic Anthropologist Hailey Collord-Stalder. She added that McWhorter "likely did not go missing voluntarily."

What we don’t know

Authorities have not determined how McWhorter died. The Linn County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death.
It is also unclear who the man in a white pickup truck was — someone McWhorter mentioned to an aunt on the day she disappeared, according to her sister. That detail only came to light decades later.

The backstory

McWhorter was the oldest of five siblings, and her disappearance haunted her family for decades. Nagle, who was 11 years old when her sister vanished, said she spent years searching databases of unidentified persons in hopes of finding clues.
She also uploaded her own DNA to ancestry websites, hoping it would connect her to her missing sister.
"I was really glad that they found me through DNA," Nagle, now 62, told the AP. "I never forgot about her."
The Source: This report is based on reporting by the Associated Press and information released by Oregon State Police.

Conclusion

The identification of the remains of "Swamp Mountain Jane Doe" as Marion Vinetta Nagle McWhorter brings closure to a nearly 50-year-old cold case. The use of DNA testing and genealogy records has solved a mystery that haunted McWhorter’s family for decades. While the circumstances surrounding her death remain unclear, the identification of her remains provides a sense of resolution and justice for her loved ones.

FAQs

• Q: Who was "Swamp Mountain Jane Doe"?
  A: "Swamp Mountain Jane Doe" was the name given to the remains of a woman found in Oregon’s Central Cascades in 1976. The remains have been identified as those of Marion Vinetta Nagle McWhorter, who disappeared in 1974.
• Q: How were the remains identified?
  A: The remains were identified through DNA testing and genealogy records.
• Q: What is the status of the investigation into McWhorter’s death?
  A: The Linn County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death.
• Q: How old was McWhorter when she disappeared?
  A: McWhorter was 21 years old when she disappeared in 1974.
• Q: How did McWhorter’s sister contribute to the identification of the remains?
  A: McWhorter’s younger sister, Valerie Nagle, provided DNA that confirmed the match. She had also uploaded her own DNA to ancestry websites in hopes of finding clues about her missing sister.