Phoenix police identify woman who was found dead in 2017

PHOENIX — A woman who suffered a heat-related death four years ago in Phoenix has been identified based on forensic technology, authorities said Wednesday.

Laura Jean Jordan’s identity was uncovered after officers with the Phoenix Police Department were called to an area behind a residence near 22nd Place and Garfield Street on July 9, 2017, and found her body.

Detectives were unable to identify Jordan, who had a multicolored tattoo on the left upper part of her chest that said “Stuart” and a lower right leg tattoo that said “Laura N Layla,” police said.

She was buried as a Jane Doe, but attempts to identify her were restarted this year thanks to a partnership with the Phoenix Police Cold Case and Missing and Unidentified Persons Unit, the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner and the DNA Doe Project.

Using forensic genealogy, detectives found a lead and reached out to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a partial fingerprint comparison.

The fingerprint analysis provided a hit for Jordan, a middle-aged woman whose photo on file with authorities was similar to a sketch that was made for the unidentified body.

Police said Jordan’s family was contacted and her name was restored.

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