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‘The unsung hero’: How a DeSoto County cold case was kept alive

By , Daily Memphian Updated: September 24, 2024 6:16 AM CT | Published: September 23, 2024 5:35 PM CT

For decades, a modest gravestone in Olive Branch’s Blocker Cemetery bore the simple moniker of “Jane Doe.”

The marker noted she was “found” on Jan. 24, 1985, but the identity of the young woman discovered by a UPS driver along U.S. 78 — the apparent victim of a homicide — seemed lost to time. 

Following a break in the case earlier this year, the non-descript “Jane Doe” memorial was replaced with one bearing her name — “Lorie Ann Mealer Pennell.”


Officer in charge of DeSoto sex-offender registry recognized for work


The discovery of Pennell’s identity brought a long-dormant cold case back to life. But the story of the DeSoto County Jane Doe — of Lorie Ann Mealer Pennell —still asks plenty of questions.

For decades, the “Jane Doe” file would pass through the hands of a revolving line of investigators, some changing jobs; others retiring without ever solving the mystery. 

Topics

DeSoto County Jane Doe Lorie Ann Mealer Pennell DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office Amber Edlin Subscriber Only

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Rob Moore

Rob Moore

Rob Moore covers North Mississippi for The Daily Memphian. He holds a B.A. and an M.A. in English from The University of Memphis.

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