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DNA link identifies woman in 49-year-old missing person case

Nearly five decades after skeletal remains were discovered near Wolf Creek in Linn County, authorities have confirmed the young woman’s identity

Forensic Aproximation of Marion McWhorter who went missing in 1974.

“Forensic genetic genealogy allowed us not only to assist Oregon law enforcement and medicolegal personnel in identifying a woman who likely did not go missing voluntarily, but it also helped provide her family with answers,” said State Forensic Anthropologist Hailey Collord-Stalder.

LINN COUNTY, Ore., Sept. 16, 2025 — Nearly five decades after skeletal remains were discovered near Wolf Creek in Linn County, authorities have confirmed the young woman’s identity as Marion Vinetta Nagle McWhorter, who disappeared in 1974 at the age of 21.

McWhorter’s remains were first found in July 1976 by a moss hunter, who came across a skull and alerted law enforcement. Additional remains and personal items — including a leather coat, beaded belt, metal rings, jeans, and a clog-style shoe — were later recovered. But for 49 years, her name remained a mystery despite repeated attempts at identification.

Advances in forensic genetic genealogy finally provided the breakthrough. In 2020, Oregon State Police partnered with Parabon NanoLabs to build a detailed genetic profile, which predicted McWhorter’s physical characteristics and ancestry.

A breakthrough in the case occurred in April 2025, when someone spontaneously uploaded their genetic profile to the Family Tree DNA database, a genetic testing company that offers autosomal DNA, Y-DNA, and mitochondrial DNA tests to help users trace their ancestry and connect with relatives. This provided genealogists with a much closer look into the unidentified woman’s family tree.

Forensic scientists followed genetic and other leads and ultimately determined that McWhorter was likely the unidentified young woman. Genealogists found that McWhorter had one surviving family member, a younger sister living in the Seattle area. A detective with the Linn County Sheriff’s Office contacted the sister, who provided an oral swab for DNA comparison and shared the story of her long-lost older sister.

“Forensic genetic genealogy allowed us not only to assist Oregon law enforcement and medicolegal personnel in identifying a woman who likely did not go missing voluntarily, but it also helped provide her family with answers,” said State Forensic Anthropologist Hailey Collord-Stalder.

McWhorter, born Jan. 7, 1953, had last been seen at a Tigard shopping mall in 1974. For decades, her family had no answers. Authorities say the Linn County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to review evidence to determine, if possible, the circumstances of her death.

The identification highlights both the persistence of Oregon investigators and the power of genetic genealogy to close long-standing cold cases. For McWhorter’s family, it brings long-awaited closure.

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