Three dimensional printing will be used for identifying a Hernando County Jane Doe murdered in 1972 estimated to be 25-40 years old. A replica of the woman’s skull was created from scans of the original at USF’s vision center. The recreated skull will be used by a forensics team this month at USF’s Florida Institute for Forensic Anthropology and Applied Science (IFAAS) for facial reconstruction. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as well as the Florida Sheriff’s Association will be collaborating in this process. The team is working on identifying a total of 7 adults and 2 juveniles using this method.
Jane Doe was discovered by a teenage boy passing along a wooded area of High Corner Road in Brooksville. He found the remains of the woman wearing a white bra and white, bikini-style underwear. A couple of days prior, a light colored ‘61-‘62 Ford Falcon was seen with three people entering the woods – only two came out.
The team includes forensic artists who will use the bone structure of the replica to model facial features. Forensic artist Joe Mullins will oversee the process. He has been reconstructing skulls for the past 15 years for use in facial reconstruction, an arduous task until now with the use of 3D printing. It is expected that 3D printing will lead to more accurate facial reconstructions as well.
IFAAS Director Dr. Erin Kimmerle will lead skeletal analyses and chemical isotope testing for further identification purposes.