Woman's Body Identified After 23 Years By New Brighton Police

NEW BRIGHTON, MN — The body of a woman found 23 years ago in New Brighton has finally been identified, the city's police force announced Friday.

Authorities use genetic genealogy and DNA to identify the body as belonging to Gail Marlene Johnson, a Minneapolis resident who was 40 years old at the time of her death.

"It’s been 23 years and we never gave up on finding out who this woman was and what happened to her," New Brighton Public Safety Director Tony Paetznick said in a news release.

"Identifying her provides an important new clue as we continue our work to determine the circumstances of her death."

Because of the condition of Johnson's remains, the Ramsey County Medical Examiner could not determine the cause of death. However, investigators still consider the circumstances of Johnson's passing to be suspicious.

On Sept. 15, 2000, two teenagers on a walk in Long Lake Regional Park found a woman’s body in a wooded, marshy area. The body had been there for possibly two months, according to investigators.

State scientists obtained the woman's DNA but it did not match anyone in databases at the time, authorities said. The woman's identity remained unknown for more than two decades.

But over the past summer, investigators worked with Astrea Forensics and obtained the type of DNA profile needed for genetic genealogy. Next, the DNA Doe Project searched public databases and identified a likely genetic connection to Johnson’s family.

New Brighton investigators obtained a DNA sample from a family member in Minnesota and BCA forensic scientists confirmed the family connection, authorities said.

The New Brighton Department of Public Safety is asking anyone who knew Johnson to contact the police department.

Johnson was 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighed 135 pounds, and had light brown hair, according to investigators. She drove a black or gray 1989 Ford Mustang, was a sex worker, and spent time along Lake Street in Minneapolis, authorities said.