A woman discovered in a Michigan house almost two decades ago has been identified, raising fears of a serial killer’s involvement
Detroit: A woman’s remains were found in an abandoned house in Michigan almost 20 years ago, and she’s finally been identified. Her name was Darylnn Washington, and it turns out she might have been a victim of a serial killer.
Washington died just days before her remains were discovered back in June 1996. For years, she was a Jane Doe, and despite efforts to identify her, no one knew who she was.
Her case went cold, but her information was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. They even released a forensic sketch to help jog someone’s memory, but nothing came of it until recently.
In January, authorities announced that they identified her through DNA testing. The Detroit Police reached out to a company called Othram, which specializes in advanced DNA technology, to help solve the case.
When her remains were first found, they determined she was a Black woman, likely between 20 and 30 years old, and about five feet tall. Sadly, they couldn’t figure out much else about her.
Her death was ruled a homicide, and investigators believe she was killed by Shelly Brooks, a serial killer from the Detroit area who allegedly confessed to the crime.
Washington’s family was notified once her identity was confirmed. They had long suspected that she was murdered by a serial killer, but they never found her remains until now.
Brooks was charged in 2006 with killing seven women, all of whom he had paid for sex. It’s a chilling thought that Washington could be one of his victims.
All the bodies were found in remote spots around Detroit, like abandoned buildings and vacant lots. Brooks was convicted for two of the murders and is now serving a life sentence in Michigan.
