Nearly 33 years after remains were found near Minnesota’s Bone Lake, authorities have identified the woman known as “Bone Lake Jane Doe” as Denise Elaine Sexton Hartley. Investigators say the case was solved through renewed DNA work and investigative genetic g
The phone call came, the search widened, and then the case went quiet—until a new set of tools pulled it back into the light.
In June 1993, remains of an unidentified woman were found near Minnesota shorelines across Washington and Ramsey counties. The discoveries eventually led to the name “Bone Lake Jane Doe.” On Thursday. June 11. the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said the woman has now been identified as Denise Elaine Sexton Hartley—nearly 33 years after she disappeared.
The sheriff’s office said Hartley went missing from St. Paul at 27 years old. Her remains were found in both Washington and Ramsey counties, which share a border. Officials also said her cause and manner of death are undetermined, and as of mid-June no suspects have been arrested.
Hartley’s life before the disappearance
Hartley was the youngest of 15 siblings, according to the sheriff’s office. In 1992, she moved to the St. Paul area from Ohio. Detective Clayton Evens with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said she left her elementary-aged daughter with her ex-husband, the child’s father.
Evens said family members suggested she relocate to Minnesota to “start a new life” because she was having issues in Ohio.
The last time anyone heard from Hartley was in 1993, the sheriff’s office said.
Evens described how the case stayed alive through family concern. “We’ve had two of her siblings say they reported her missing,” he said. He added that it was a long time ago and investigators were not able to find an official missing persons report. though the siblings said they had reported her missing at the time. He said they may have reported her missing to a different agency.
A severed head, a foot, and an overwhelmed search
The case began to take shape on June 12, 1993, when someone found a severed human head about 37 miles northeast of St. Paul near the shoreline of Bone Lake in Scandia—then known as New Scandia Township. The next day, someone found a human foot from Pig’s Eye Lake in St. Paul.
On June 21. 1993. a caller told dispatch that investigators would find the rest of the victim’s remains under the Mendota Bridge in Mendota Heights. Evens said. After that phone call. Evens said. “it became a huge search party. pretty much all hands on deck.” He said investigators searched everywhere but couldn’t find anything connected to the tip. and authorities were unable to substantiate whether the call was legitimate or simply someone calling in.
The caller has never been identified, the detective said.
As leads dried up early, officials created a sketch of the unidentified woman in an effort to identify her, but it did not lead to answers.
DNA advances and the case’s long return
For years, attempts to identify the remains were unsuccessful. In 2024. more than 30 years after the remains were found. the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office began working with the DNA Doe Project. a California-based nonprofit. to identify the woman through investigative genetic genealogy.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said the goal was to use the approach to generate new leads. It said the renewed investigation and DNA work helped trace family members of the deceased woman to Columbus, Ohio.
Investigators interviewed family members in Ohio and obtained a DNA sample from a woman who turned out to be Hartley’s daughter. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) later confirmed the remains belonged to Hartley through DNA analysis.
Evens credited the partnership for much of the work. “The genealogy part was really handled by the DNA Doe Project, and I always like to give a shout out to them because they were phenomenal to work with,” he said. He added that the organization’s work is fundraiser-based and volunteer-based.
Where the investigation goes from here
Even as authorities restore Hartley’s identity, they say the investigation into her death remains active.
In the sheriff’s office news release, Sheriff Dan Starry said Hartley disappeared just weeks before he started working for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in 1993. He said seeing the case come full circle after more than 30 years is a reminder that authorities never stop looking for answers.
Starry said. “To see this case come full circle more than 30 years later is a reminder that no matter how much time passes. we never stop looking for answers for victims and their families.” He added. “While we cannot change what happened. we can honor Denise by restoring her identity and giving her family the answers they deserve.”.
Evens said identifying Hartley is only the first step. “Now that we’ve finally identified her, our job really becomes the investigative side of what happened to her in the last few days or the last few weeks of her life,” he said.
Authorities said anyone with information should contact the Washington County Sheriff’s Office at 651-430-7850.
One door has reopened on the timeline since June 1993—starting with scattered remains. a sketch made to spark recognition. and a tip that triggered a search that couldn’t confirm itself. Now. with DNA and investigative genealogy linking Hartley’s family in Columbus. Ohio. investigators say they’re moving on to the questions that remained unanswered all these years.
Denise Hartley Bone Lake Jane Doe Minnesota cold case Washington County Sheriff’s Office Ramsey County Medical Examiner DNA Doe Project investigative genetic genealogy DNA analysis missing persons St. Paul