Skeletal human remains found in Douglas County in 2016 have been identified as being those of a woman who lived in Eugene.
Sergeant Brad O’Dell of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said on October 1st of that year, a fisherman’s boat broke down on the Umpqua River in the area of the former International Paper Mill near Gardiner. The fisherman was able to get his boat to shore. While gathering wood for a fire, the man found what he believed was human bones along the riverbank.
O’Dell said in November of 2016, DCSO released the preliminary findings of an examination of the remains by Oregon State Medical Examiner Forensic Anthropologist, Dr. Nici Vance. Dr. Vance determined the remains were those of a Caucasian female, likely between the age of 30 to 55 at the time of her death. Due to the advanced state of decomposition of the partial remains, physical characteristics such as height, weight, hair color, eye color and ethnicity were unknown at the time. It was determined that the woman had been deceased between one and three years.
O’Dell said the Medical Examiners investigation continued and attempted to make identification through the use of DNA and dental records.
O’Dell said in November of 2019, a private laboratory, DNA Solutions, produced a new type of DNA profile and compared it to the public family genealogy website, GEDMatch. Subsequently, a probable familial DNA match was identified.
O’Dell said the Douglas County Medical Examiner’s Office followed up on the newly obtained information and contacted the family member of the unidentified person. The remains were identified as those belonging to Genelle McDaniel, who was born in 1954. McDaniel had not been reported as a missing person.
A follow-up investigation revealed circumstantial information which leads investigators to believe the woman’s death was likely the result of a suicide.
Douglas County Chief Medicolegal Death Investigator Craig Kinney said their hope is to bring resolution to families in these types of cases. He said, “being able to identify Genelle and provide her family with some answers is the goal we have been working toward”.
Dr. Nici Vance said with new DNA technology and collaboration, the efforts of many people “finally gave this mystery woman a name”.