ACSO release statement following update on Jane Doe

WADESBORO — Following an article that appeared in the Richmond Daily Journal and Anson Record updating the case of Anson County’s Jane Doe, found behind the National Guard Armory on May 12, 2022, the ACSO released a statement on the case Friday, April 5th, that reads as follows,

“On Friday, January 19, 2024, dental records confirmed that the unidentified remains found in Anson County are not April Michelle Reid.

On January 19, 2024, Anson County called the Bullhead City Police Department in Arizona, asking to speak with Det. Sharpe and were told he no longer worked there. Bullhead City requested ACSO to contact a supervisor via email. The email was sent on the same day.

On the morning of Monday, January 22, 2024, Anson County confirmed Amber Johnston did not have dental records available via NamUS for comparison. Monday afternoon Anson County spoke with Det. Sharpe who stated we were told in error that he no longer works there. Det. Sharpe stated he would follow up with Sharon Johnston, mother of Amber Johnston, to get dental information. On this same date, ACSO spoke with Sharon Johnston.

Sharon Johnson has been an invaluable resource and has provided the ACSO with the names of every place she thought her daughter had or may have had dental treatment as well as insurance companies that would have covered the treatment. Every provided dental office and health insurance company in several states were contacted by the ASCO. The ACSO was able to obtain the dental records on February 26, 2024, from a dental office in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. The records were sent to NamUs, the North Carolina Human Identification and Forensic Analysis Laboratory, and the Medical Examiner’s Office on the same date, for comparison.

On March 27, 2024, the Anson County Sheriff’s Office was notified by the Medical Examiner’s Office that the unidentified remains located in Anson County on May 12, 2022, were referred to a forensic odontologist with the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) for dental comparison with missing person Amber Johnston. In their expert opinion, there is insufficient information to support any dental exclusion or inclusion of Amber Johnston.

IMAGES

NamUs has been provided the original unaltered photos. None of the photos related to this case are in color, and all colorized photos have been altered.

The ACSO has not applied filters to any of the images but has compared photos taken during the day by the same trail camera, and confirmed what some see as possibly being individuals in the photos is the foliage and vegetation.

THE BACKPACK

An extensive search of the area for the backpack and any other items has been completed, as well as interviewing rabbit hunters from Florida who found the backpack in February of 2022. The hunters cannot recall what the backpack looked like or what area in the woods they saw it. There has been no information from any source indicating the backpack had a large sum of money or any personal items. As stated by Captain Tice in February, this information is not sufficient to determine whether the backpack is related to the unidentified remains.”

Law enforcement would like to remind and assure the public that, “The ACSO cannot disclose all details, and actions taken by ACSO related to this case as this is an ongoing investigation. The ACSO will continue to investigate and follow up all tips and leads in this case.”