On December 20th, 1976, a teenager playing near the Lehigh River in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, made a gruesome discovery. He found three suitcases scattered along the frozen riverbank, which contained the dismembered body of a young woman and a near-full-term fetus. The Pennsylvania State Police were called, and an autopsy later ruled the death a homicide by strangulation, with a gunshot wound also noted to the neck.
For over four decades, the woman remained unidentified, known only as "Beth Doe." The case went cold, with no identification, no wallet, and no keys to point investigators toward her identity. The victim had been very close to giving birth, leading police to believe the father of her child might hold crucial information.
The break in the case came decades later through advanced forensic genealogy. In 2019, a DNA sample from the victim's remains was analyzed using next-generation gene sequencing technology. This led investigators to a family in Texas, and eventually to the victim's identity: 15-year-old Evelyn Colon from Jersey City, New Jersey.
Evelyn had been in a relationship with 19-year-old Luis Sierra, who lived next door to her family. She became pregnant, and the two moved in together. Evelyn's younger sister, Magdalia, later told police that Sierra was jealous and controlling, sometimes locking Evelyn inside the apartment. The last time Evelyn's family saw her was in early December 1976, just weeks before she was due to give birth.
After Evelyn disappeared, her family received a letter postmarked from Connecticut, claiming she had left voluntarily and cut off contact. Her father, Luis Colon Sr., believed the letter and did not report her missing for years. In reality, Evelyn's body had already been dumped in Carbon County, Pennsylvania.
The case was reopened in 2007 with new DNA technology, but it wasn't until 2019 that a match was made through a genealogical database. Evelyn's nephew, Luis Colon Jr., had submitted his DNA to a genealogy site, hoping to find his missing aunt. The match led investigators directly to Evelyn's identity, and the case was finally solved.
On March 31, 2021, Luis Sierra, then 63 years old, was arrested at his home in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. He was charged with criminal homicide in connection with Evelyn's murder. During a two-hour interview, Sierra initially denied knowing Evelyn, then admitted he had dated her and that she was pregnant with his child, but insisted he last saw her at their Jersey City apartment.
The case faced significant legal hurdles. The defense argued that the murder likely occurred in New Jersey, not Pennsylvania, meaning Carbon County did not have jurisdiction. Despite the prosecution's efforts, a judge ruled in 2024 that the case could not proceed in Pennsylvania, and Sierra was released on bail. As of June 2026, there is no public information indicating that New Jersey has formally charged him.
Evelyn's family, including her brother Luis, who testified in court, expressed frustration and grief. They had waited 45 years for justice, only to see the case dismissed on a technicality. Evelyn's remains, which had lain in an unmarked grave under the name "Beth Doe" for 44 years, were finally returned to her family, who had her reburied under her true name.
The case became a landmark example of the power of forensic genealogy in solving cold cases. It also highlighted the importance of submitting DNA to genealogical databases, as it was a family member's voluntary submission that finally gave Evelyn her name back. While justice remains elusive, the case serves as a reminder that even the coldest cases can be solved with persistence and modern technology.