Georgia authorities identify ‘Jane Doe’ corpse found in a dumpster in 1988

A woman who was found dead in a dumpster in Millen, Georgia, in 1988 has been identified as a South Korean national.

The victim, 26-year-old Chong Un Kim, moved to the U.S. in 1981, living in Hinesville, Georgia, about 78 miles southeast of Millen until 1988, said the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Hinesville adjoins the Fort Stewart U.S. Army base.

Kim was found on Feb. 14, 1988, wrapped in plastic and duct tape inside a nylon suitcase that had then been left in a dumpster.

At the time of discovery, Kim had been dead for around four to seven days from asphyxiation, state law enforcement said.

Investigators at the time were unable to identify Kim, instead referring to her as “Jane Doe.” In 2023, GBI turned to the Othram forensic laboratory, which used DNA to identify her.

“We tested the blanket that had some DNA from her transferred on to it. We were able to build a DNA profile,” Othram Chief Development Officer Dr. Kristen Mittelman told WJBF-TV.

State law enforcement has now reached out to Kim’s family to let them know. Kim’s sister, who was not named, lives in New York, said GBI.

Having identified Kim, the state agency is now working to determine who killed her.