Before today, she was simply known as Jane Doe number one. But, this afternoon, New Britain police were able to put a face and a name to a homicide victim.
The state’s forensic lab recently received a mitochondrial DNA hit. And today, one of three women, whose remains were discovered in the woods, near New Britain Road and Route 9, was identified as Joyvaline Martinez, of East Hartford, who had been missing since October 10, 2003.
In September 2007, skeletal remains of the three females were found in the woods, behind a strip mall, Westfarms Mall. Martinez’s mother provided a DNA sample at that time.
“The DNA hit came within a few months ago, but we waited until we got a secondary confirmation from the forensic odontologist, which was a couple of weeks ago,” said Lt. Jeanette Saccente of the New Britain Police Department. Odontology is forensic dentistry.
In an August 2010 press conference, police revealed facial approximations of two of the victims. Several months later, Jane Doe number two was identified as Diane Cusack, of New Britain, who had also been missing since 2003.
The remains Jane Doe number three revealed she was in her 20s or 30s were found can only be described as a female in her 20s or 30s and likely very athletic.