Account
Nov 12, 2016
Jan 12, 2024
Joann
Rozelle
64
29
66 inches
115 lbs
White / Caucasian
Female
In the summer of 1989, a 29-year-old woman named Joann Marie Rozelle vanished from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, leaving behind a life and a family. On the evening of June 10th, Joann was at the Meridian Lanes Bowling Center with her husband and children. Following a dispute with her ex-husband, with whom she had divorced in 1985, she went outside into the parking lot for some air and was never seen alive again. Four days later, her grandmother officially reported her as a missing person. At the time of her disappearance, Joann, who also went by the name Joanna Marie Silva, was described as a white female with brown hair and brown eyes, standing at 5'6" and weighing approximately 115 pounds. The years stretched on with no word of Joann's whereabouts, a painful silence for her loved ones who were left with only questions and fading hope. In 2003, her son made the difficult decision to have her legally declared dead, a formal acknowledgment of a loss that had been felt for over a decade. The case took a significant turn in January 1990 when a survey crew inspecting a telephone line in Canadian County discovered a human skull along the banks of a creek near Oklahoma State Highway 66. The location was situated between Geary and El Reno, not far from the Cherokee Truck Stop. Subsequent searches of the creek and the surrounding area led to the recovery of about half of a human skeleton. Investigators determined the remains belonged to a female and suspected foul play was involved due to a head injury. Despite a thorough investigation, the identity of the woman remained a mystery for over three decades, and she became known as the Canadian County Jane Doe. Several articles of clothing were found during the search, including light tan slacks, a belt with a gold buckle, a white collared shirt, a white baseball-style cap, and a gold ring with a filigree heart, but they could not be definitively linked to the remains at the time. For thirty-five years, the identity of the woman found by the creek remained unknown. The breakthrough in the case came through advancements in forensic science. In 2024, investigators with the Canadian County Sheriff's Office attended a training conference on the use of Ancestral DNA for cold case investigations. This led them to enlist the help of Othram Inc., a laboratory specializing in forensic genetic genealogy. Othram was able to develop a DNA profile from the skeletal remains, which led to a potential match with Joann Marie Rozelle. A follow-up investigation and comparison with a DNA sample from a relative confirmed the match, and in November 2025, the Canadian County Jane Doe was officially identified as Joann Marie Rozelle. Her death is considered a homicide. The identification has brought new leads in the investigation into her disappearance and death, offering a renewed sense of purpose for law enforcement and a measure of closure for a family that waited decades for answers.
Jun 14, 1989
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma
Oklahoma County
No
19055
Oklahoma City Police Department
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma
Oklahoma County
73102
Chris DePalma
Lieutenant
701 Colcord Drive, Oklahoma
4052971129
Local
Law Enforcement
89 085414
1989-06-14
Oklahoma City Police Department
Brown
Brown
Brown
06/21/2026
