Lake County police hope further DNA testing reveals clues about transgender woman’s body

Police may soon know more about the transgender woman whose body was found along a Clermont road in 1988.

The cold case was revived in November when DNA testing revealed the unidentified person’s body was transgender.

Now, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has accepted a request by Lake County Detective Tammy Dale for further testing. Dale submitted evidence including the victim’s clothing.

“Hopefully they will find foreign DNA (not belonging to the victim) on the items that will lead me to a person of interest,” Dale said in an email to Watermark, adding that it can take several weeks to get DNA results back.

The body was found Sept. 25, 1988 and it’s estimated she died between two weeks to a month prior to that.

transgender body sketch julie doe lake countyThey’re calling her “Julie Doe.” She’s about 5’10”, 150-180 pounds, and between 24 and 33 years old. Police say she has had rhinoplasty and healed fractures to her cheekbone, rib and toe. Dental work, well-manicured nails believed to be fake, and long, dyed strawberry blonde hair with brown roots. She was found wearing an acid washed denim skirt and blue/green tank top. She is biologically a white male. She had breast implants, approximately 250cc size, that were at least 5 years old, according to police. They released a sketch of what the woman may have looked like.

Anyone with information is asked to call Dale at 352-343-2101 or anonymous tipsters can call Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS.

Dale has received a handful of tips from around the county.

“I have checked each one of them out, unfortunately, none of them have proven to be our ‘Julie Doe,'” she said. “But I am very excited that I am receiving tips, it only takes ONE person to recognize [the victim]!”

Police do not know what caused the woman’s death.

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