DNA breakthrough identifies Collier County woman after 50 years

A groundbreaking development has emerged in Collier County, as a woman's remains discovered more than 50 years ago have finally been identified. Thanks to advancements in forensic genetic genealogy, investigators have reopened a decades-old cold case.

In February 1975, a couple driving along Turner River Road in Collier County stumbled upon a human skull in the brush after letting their dog out of the car. Deputies searched the area, uncovering additional skeletal remains hidden under tall grass. Investigators determined the woman had died from a gunshot wound, but were unable to identify her at the time.

In 2024, the Collier County Sheriff's Office sought assistance from Othram, a Texas-based forensic lab specializing in genetic genealogy. The lab built a DNA profile from evidence collected in 1975, providing new leads for investigators. On Monday, authorities confirmed the woman's identity as Darlene Schab.

"We help them by sequencing the DNA and creating a very comprehensive profile of this individual," said Michael Vogen, Director of Law Enforcement Solutions. "We use forensic genetic genealogy to narrow in on the direct family line of the DNA. And then Collier did what they do best, and in these investigations, and were able to identify this woman as Darlene Schab."

For nearly five decades, Schab was known only as "Naples Jane Doe."

"We look at half a million to a million markers of DNA," Vogen said. "Now, all of a sudden, instead of being or needing to detect a first-degree relationship, we can detect, like a seventh cousin."

This breakthrough allows investigators to trace DNA evidence to distant relatives, opening new possibilities in cold cases that previously reached dead ends.

"In Florida alone, this is our 46th case that we've announced is solved with our law enforcement partners," Vogen said.

Now that Schab has been identified, the homicide investigation has been reopened. The Collier County Sheriff's Office is urging anyone with information to contact Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers.