GUILTY OH - Marion Co., WhtFem Skeletal 672UFOH, 18-22, along rural road, Mar'07- Dana Nicole Lowrey

[Two for the road]

Congratulations to DNA Doe Project for another ID!

Two things I'm amazed at in this case. 1) a serial killer told the truth! I wasn't expecting her name to actually be Dana.

2) Isotopes were actually spot on in her case! That's awesome, as I was starting to lose hope in their usefulness.

RIP Dana. I'm glad her family has closure now.

 

[Earth]

Shouldn't we move this to the 'Resolved' section?

I'm glad that she has her name back and that her family has closure.

 

[Mrs. Badcrumble]

From DDP:

"With deep gratitude, the DNA Doe Project (DDP) announces the identification of “Vicky Dana Jane Doe” as Dana Nicole Lowrey from Minden, Louisiana.

On 10 March 2007, a man collecting cans along Victory Road in Grand Prairie Township, Marion County, Ohio found the body of a young woman. In September 2016 Shawn Grate, a suspected Ohio serial killer, confessed to abducting and stabbing the young white female and tossing her body along the road. He said the young woman had been conducting door-to-door sales and claimed she allegedly cheated his mother. Grate became angry and killed her. He believes her name could have been Diane, Diana, or Dana. Dana Lynn Lowrey was 23 years old at the time of her death.

Since February 2019, the DNA Doe Project has worked closely with the Marion County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) and Major Christy Utley on this case. The lab received Dana's sample in March and our DDP team received her files on 13 May 2019.

Earlier today (4 June 2019) the MCSO hosted a press conference detailing the investigation, the partnership with DDP, and subsequent confirmation of Dana's identity. We thank the MCSO for their consummate professionalism and for entrusting us with this special case.

We extend our appreciation to DNA Solutions, Inc. for their lab and bioinformatics expertise. Thank you to Carl Koppelman, for sharing his facial approximation.

Special thanks to our incredible team of dedicated DDP volunteers who have persevered on this and other cases, despite the challenges we have encountered since beginning Dana's case.

Above all, thank you to GEDmatch, and to those generous genetic genealogy participants who have completed DNA kits and are uploading and opting-in there. We see you! Without you, these cases would have little chance of reaching a successful conclusion. Please continue to educate and advocate for people to upload to FTDNA and gedmatch.com and opt-IN.

We extend our condolences to Dana’s family.

Identification announcement of Vicky Dana Jane Doe

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=454115975381805

MCSO's News Page: Home
MCSO's Facebook Page: (Marion Sheriff Ohio) Marion Sheriff Ohio
DNA Doe Project: Vicky Dana Doe - DNA Doe Project Cases "

DNA Doe Project

 

[Liv27]

Carl did a great job on the reconstruction.

 

[carbuff]

Rest in peace, Ms. Lowrey.

 

[Liv27]

Has anyone said if she was ever reported missing? I would notice if a mother of two young kids went missing when the kids are without their mother.

 

[carbuff]

According to this article, she was reported missing in 2006:

Minden woman, missing since 2006, identified as victim of serial killer | Minden Press-Herald

And yes she was selling magazines.

added: but she doesn't seem to have been in any of the big missing persons databases.

 

[Liv27]

According to this article, she was reported missing in 2006:

Minden woman, missing since 2006, identified as victim of serial killer | Minden Press-Herald

And yes she was selling magazines.

added: but she doesn't seem to have been in any of the big missing persons databases.

LE kinda dropped the ball on this one. Her family DID a report, which is what they were supposed to do. I guess it’s because she was most likely reported missing in Louisiana and found in Ohio.

 

[Gardener1850]

I just finished watching the presser here:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=454115975381805

The sheriff said Dana was never reported missing. Her boyfriend was taking care of their children while she traveled selling magazines. He said he didn't know where to report her missing since she had been traveling all over the US selling magazines at the time and she was an adult (23). She called her boyfriend and children regularly until she was killed. The last time he heard from her she was in Ohio in May of 2006. That fits with the timeline of when Grate confessed to abducting her and murdering her. The sheriff said her boyfriend was very upset to find out she had been murdered. Her children were ages 1 and 5 when she was murdered and don't really remember her at all.

 

[Liv27]

I just finished watching the presser here:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=454115975381805

The sheriff said Dana was never reported missing. Her boyfriend was taking care of their children while she traveled selling magazines. He said he didn't know where to report her missing since she had been traveling all over the US selling magazines at the time and she was an adult (23). She called her boyfriend and children regularly until she was killed. The last time he heard from her she was in Ohio in May of 2006. That fits with the timeline of when Grate confessed to abducting her and murdering her. The sheriff said her boyfriend was very upset to find out she had been murdered. Her children were ages 1 and 5 when she was murdered and don't really remember her at all.

Oh man, that’s so sad! I feel so bad for those kids. I hope they are doing okay.

 

[Gardener1850]

I don't have time to go back and listen again but I heard the Sheriff say they are giving DNA Doe Project another UID case to work on (I think he said a man found in a stream?) Does anyone know that case and if we have a thread for him here? TIA.

ETA: Answering my own question-- Possibly this case? OH - OH - Marion Co., 'Luther' WhtMale 851UMOH, 22-40, in Flat Run Creek, Jul'89

 

[Gardener1850]

Oh man, that’s so sad! I feel so bad for those kids. I hope they are doing okay.

Yeah, I agree. They would be a teenager and a tween/preteen today. So horrible for them to find out their mom was murdered and they will never get to know her now. I guess it might be a small comfort to find out she did not willfully cut off contact and abandon them, but it still must be such a shock. I hope they have someone in their life they can talk to and be okay. JMO.

 

[Owutatangledweb]

Rest In Peace Miss Dana and God Bless your children. I'm glad you have your real full name back.

 

[cvaldez1975]

I just finished watching the presser here:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=454115975381805

The sheriff said Dana was never reported missing. Her boyfriend was taking care of their children while she traveled selling magazines. He said he didn't know where to report her missing since she had been traveling all over the US selling magazines at the time and she was an adult (23). She called her boyfriend and children regularly until she was killed. The last time he heard from her she was in Ohio in May of 2006. That fits with the timeline of when Grate confessed to abducting her and murdering her. The sheriff said her boyfriend was very upset to find out she had been murdered. Her children were ages 1 and 5 when she was murdered and don't really remember her at all.

that's very sad. he sorta dropped the ball but i can understand his confusion.

 

[j_in_c]

Just wanted to chime in how happy I am to see that this Jane Doe was ID'ed and how sad to hear about her two children who were robbed of the opportunity to get to know her.

It wasn't shocking to me that SK Shawn Grate wasn't lying. There was no reason for him to confess to this crime at all. Maybe somewhere in there is genuine remorse, but clearly not enough to prevent him from murdering again. Glad he was caught and is where he belongs, just wish we could catch all these serial predators the very first time they kill.

 

[Gardener1850]

June 9, 2019

MARION, Ohio (AP) — A death row inmate has been indicted on charges of killing a Louisiana woman more than a decade ago in Ohio.

Inmate Shawn Grate was previously convicted of four slayings in northern Ohio's Ashland and Richland counties. Grate had told authorities another of his victims was a woman selling magazines.

Marion County Sheriff Tim Bailey at a news conference Tuesday identified the woman as Dana Nicole Lowrey, of Minden, Louisiana.

Her remains were found in 2007. She was 23 when she was killed, and was known to have sold magazines in Ohio.

A grand jury on Wednesday indicted Grate on charges of aggravated murder, kidnapping, tampering with evidence, and abuse of a corpse.

A message seeking comment was left with Grate's attorney.

Death row inmate charged with killing woman found in 2007

 

[PastTense]

"A death row inmate accused of killing a Louisiana woman in 2006 in Ohio has pleaded not guilty to charges including aggravated murder. Inmate Shawn Grate was previously convicted of four slayings in northern Ohio’s Ashland and Richland counties. He pleaded not guilty Monday in Marion County to charges in the slaying of 23-year-old Dana Nicole Lowrey, of Minden, Louisiana."

Convicted killer pleads not guilty to killing woman in Marion County

 

[Tssiemer]

>.>
But why?
“Yeah I killed some chick named Dana”
“Sir the UID is Dana.”
“Wasn’t me!”

 

[MarziPanda]

>.>
But why?
“Yeah I killed some chick named Dana”
“Sir the UID is Dana.”
“Wasn’t me!”

It does seem silly, there's no way he can win that one. But he's a death row inmate, so maybe it's a stalling tactic? If he pleads guilty it goes to sentencing, right? And after that it's back to death row. A trial will take a long time and they can't execute him whilst he's on trial. And when he's found guilty, that's another trial and more evidence his lawyers can use to stall. Just a theory...

 

[Jake479]

RIP Dana Nicole Lowery