Identified! NC - Orange Co, WhtFem 15-25, 558UFNC, pink sweatshirt w/bunnies, Sep'90 - Lisa Coburn Kesler

[cheemsg]

I'm curious what they mean by Lisa having a 'complex' life.

“As you began to read the book of the person, there are unique qualities that are who we become,” said Blackwood. “Her book was very complex and without getting into any details at this time, I’ll just say that it was a very, very complex life that she lived.”

Also, they have a person of interest they want to interview and they have interviewed this person before. I wonder if they were interviewed in Lisa's missing case, another similar case, or even in her Doe case before her name was known.

Edit: just realized Lisa wasn't reported missing so likely not in her missing case, but it could be related to her life in some way. Maybe someone related to the 'complex' lifestyle they mention above.

NC deputies have person of interest in cold case

I guess maybe identity theft or something? Such an odd thing to say.

 

[HopeRains]

Orange County deputies now have a person of interest in 30-year old cold case



Lisa Marie Coburn Kesler
(L) Yearbook Photo, age 17; (R) Photo in newspaper announcing engagement

Orange County deputies now have ‘person of interest’ in 30 year old cold case, sheriff says
by: Steve Sbraccia

Orange County deputies now have ‘person of interest’ in 30 year old cold case, sheriff says

Updated: Oct 5, 2023 / 05:59 AM EDT
Posted: Oct 4, 2023 / 06:47 PM EDT
Updated: Oct 5, 2023 / 05:59 AM EDT

HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. (WNCN) — There are new developments in a 33-year-old Orange County cold case first reported last week on CBS 17.

It was then that detectives with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office finally identified the victim as Lisa Kesler.
The discovery of her identity was a last ditch effort to get DNA and it paid off.

The case began coming together last week when a new kind of analysis technique found DNA from a degraded strand of hair that an investigator had stored back in 1990.
That led to DNA matches of relatives as well as the victim’s ex-husband.
Those developments helped investigators put together the back story of her life and point them in a new direction.

The discovery of Lisa Coburn Kesler’s identity led them to Jackson County Georgia where she grew up.
Within days of the story going public, some digging by a local reporter at the Jackson Herald revealed something investigators couldn’t find.
“We’ve got a journalist out there in her hometown who had done some really good work and found these photographs where actually some really talented investigators had not been able to find in Georgia–a picture of her,” said Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood. “I think that was remarkable, a very good find if you will.”
The high school yearbook photographs show Lisa Coburn at 17.

Coburn was her name until she married and became Lisa Kesler. It was a brief marriage.
“At this point in time, the husband is no longer a person of interest,” said the sheriff.
Former classmates of Lisa told the local reporter from the Jackson Herald she was a quiet person who kept to herself, but the sheriff says there was more to her life than that.
“As you began to read the book of the person, there are unique qualities that are who we become,” said Blackwood. “Her book was very complex and without getting into any details at this time, I’ll just say that it was a very, very complex life that she lived.”

That complex life ended when her strangled body was tossed by the side of Interstate 40 back in 1990.
Being able to backtrack her life under her maiden name has also led investigators to someone who may provide answers about her death.
“We do have a person of interest that we intend to interview,” said the sheriff. “We have interviewed that person before.
“We are working with an individual who has a very unique skill set in interrogation in cases like this,” said Blackwood.

It was the yearbook photo with her maiden name that the sheriff said really played a role in these latest developments.
After DNA helped identify her last week, investigators kept hitting dead ends looking for pictures under the name Lisa Kesler. When they unearthed the Lisa Coburn high school photo, things started to come together.
In a previous interview with CBS 17’s Steve Sbraccia, Sheriff Blackwood said the positioning of Lisa’s body and clothing at the murder scene was very unique.
He said descriptions relating to that are being used by forensic detectives who are combing databases to find similar crimes which may also play a role in this investigation.

 

[Susikatze]

Orange County deputies now have a person of interest in 30-year old cold case

View attachment 452800View attachment 452801

Lisa Marie Coburn Kesler
(L) Yearbook Photo, age 17; (R) Photo in newspaper announcing engagement

Orange County deputies now have ‘person of interest’ in 30 year old cold case, sheriff says
by: Steve Sbraccia

Orange County deputies now have ‘person of interest’ in 30 year old cold case, sheriff says

Updated: Oct 5, 2023 / 05:59 AM EDT
Posted: Oct 4, 2023 / 06:47 PM EDT
Updated: Oct 5, 2023 / 05:59 AM EDT

HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. (WNCN) — There are new developments in a 33-year-old Orange County cold case first reported last week on CBS 17.

It was then that detectives with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office finally identified the victim as Lisa Kesler.
The discovery of her identity was a last ditch effort to get DNA and it paid off.

The case began coming together last week when a new kind of analysis technique found DNA from a degraded strand of hair that an investigator had stored back in 1990.
That led to DNA matches of relatives as well as the victim’s ex-husband.
Those developments helped investigators put together the back story of her life and point them in a new direction.

The discovery of Lisa Coburn Kesler’s identity led them to Jackson County Georgia where she grew up.
Within days of the story going public, some digging by a local reporter at the Jackson Herald revealed something investigators couldn’t find.
“We’ve got a journalist out there in her hometown who had done some really good work and found these photographs where actually some really talented investigators had not been able to find in Georgia–a picture of her,” said Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood. “I think that was remarkable, a very good find if you will.”
The high school yearbook photographs show Lisa Coburn at 17.

Coburn was her name until she married and became Lisa Kesler. It was a brief marriage.
“At this point in time, the husband is no longer a person of interest,” said the sheriff.
Former classmates of Lisa told the local reporter from the Jackson Herald she was a quiet person who kept to herself, but the sheriff says there was more to her life than that.
“As you began to read the book of the person, there are unique qualities that are who we become,” said Blackwood. “Her book was very complex and without getting into any details at this time, I’ll just say that it was a very, very complex life that she lived.”

That complex life ended when her strangled body was tossed by the side of Interstate 40 back in 1990.
Being able to backtrack her life under her maiden name has also led investigators to someone who may provide answers about her death.
“We do have a person of interest that we intend to interview,” said the sheriff. “We have interviewed that person before.
“We are working with an individual who has a very unique skill set in interrogation in cases like this,” said Blackwood.

It was the yearbook photo with her maiden name that the sheriff said really played a role in these latest developments.
After DNA helped identify her last week, investigators kept hitting dead ends looking for pictures under the name Lisa Kesler. When they unearthed the Lisa Coburn high school photo, things started to come together.
In a previous interview with CBS 17’s Steve Sbraccia, Sheriff Blackwood said the positioning of Lisa’s body and clothing at the murder scene was very unique.
He said descriptions relating to that are being used by forensic detectives who are combing databases to find similar crimes which may also play a role in this investigation.

I wonder what "complex life" means. Many friends? Multiple relationships? Multiple jobs? Multiple identities? Sexwork of whatever sort? Crime involvement? Many hobbies? Homelessness/transience? Large family? Moving all the time? Really, no idea what that means. Can be super harmless, e.g. if she had many friends and 2 jobs at once which means many people to trace and ask. But can be more, maybe kind of a Kelly El Dorado scenario. Really, no no idea at all.
I guess we stay tuned.

Poor sweetheart, happy you got your name back and justice is hopefully on its way.
Jmoo

 

[HopeRains]

“As you began to read the book of the person, there are unique qualities that are who we become,” said Blackwood. “Her book was very complex and without getting into any details at this time, I’ll just say that it was a very, very complex life that she lived.”

I think we are all very complex, stories within stories. Her identity closed one chapter and opened another. Her book is not finished, but I don't know that I or anyone else here will read it.

 

[masquerading]

Rest easy, Lisa. It sounds like LE knows a lot more than we do about her life and possibly her killer, so I’m hopeful that she’ll get justice soon too.

 

[LucyOso]

I am happy you have your name back. I hope justice is served.

 

[carbuff]

(snipped by carbuff)

In a previous interview with CBS 17’s Steve Sbraccia, Sheriff Blackwood said the positioning of Lisa’s body and clothing at the murder scene was very unique.

He said descriptions relating to that are being used by forensic detectives who are combing databases to find similar crimes which may also play a role in this investigation.

This part jumped out at me. It sounds to me like they think her death might be connected to other crimes.

 

[Skigirl]

(snipped by carbuff)


This part jumped out at me. It sounds to me like they think her death might be connected to other crimes.

The other part that stood out to me is that they are interviewing a suspect, someone whom they have interviewed before. Since they didn't even know who she was until now, it must have been someone who was seen with her, or who was a suspect in other cases like that? I wonder if they are just covering their bases by looking at the database, or if they think it's unlikely that this person whom they are re-interviewing is actually the killer.

 

[Beekarina]

'It was very emotional for everyone': Family of woman killed in Orange County over 30 years ago gather to honor her memory

On Wednesday, the family of Lisa Coburn Kesler created a roadside memorial for her just months after new technology allowed investigators to identify her.

www.wnct.com

"
“It was very emotional for everyone,” said Hendricks. “Getting to reveal the name of this victim and have her family come and tell them the story of her final weeks before she was killed, it brought closure for them and helped out with everyone that was on scene.”

 

[Curious_in_NC]

'It was very emotional for everyone': Family of woman killed in Orange County over 30 years ago gather to honor her memory

On Wednesday, the family of Lisa Coburn Kesler created a roadside memorial for her just months after new technology allowed investigators to identify her.

www.wnct.com

"
“It was very emotional for everyone,” said Hendricks. “Getting to reveal the name of this victim and have her family come and tell them the story of her final weeks before she was killed, it brought closure for them and helped out with everyone that was on scene.”

Although she was said to be from Georgia, she had ties to Michigan. Back in post #108 @lilacs traced the shirt graphics to artist Jim Benton whose shirts were being sold in Michigan around that time.

 

[Skigirl]

Although she was said to be from Georgia, she had ties to Michigan. Back in post #108 @lilacs traced the shirt graphics to artist Jim Benton whose shirts were being sold in Michigan around that time.

The graphics/textile research was some stellar sleuthing!