South Sophomore Solves Cold Cases Using DNA, Forensic Genealogy

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Posted on January 19, 2021

Thomas Becnel

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From a Grand Bay bedroom decorated with posters from forensic TV shows such as 鈥淏ones鈥� and 鈥淒exter,鈥� Olivia McCarter spends long hours on her laptop working to identify people and solve crimes.

Though just a sophomore at the University of South Alabama, where she鈥檚 studying anthropology and criminal justice, the 19-year-old is a senior intern with a Massachusetts company called Redgrave Research Forensic Services. Her team uses DNA analysis and online genealogy databases to match chromosomes, build family trees and identify suspects and victims.

Just in the last year, McCarter helped solve three cases.

In April, she joined a Redgrave team that identified the body of a man found along the Missouri River back in 1979.

鈥淭hat was Harry 鈥� Harry was my first forensic case,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e worked nonstop for three days and solved it on the fourth day, which is really fast. I basically did not go to sleep, because I didn鈥檛 want to miss anything. It was exciting because we had such great matches. We found this man and he was perfect. He fit into the tree so perfectly. We knew it had to be him.鈥�

Her second case was the 1984 rape and murder of Christine Jessop, a 9-year-old girl from Queensville, Ontario. Years before, DNA evidence freed the man charged with her death in one of Canada鈥檚 most notorious wrongful conviction cases. 

Redgrave researchers worked for months this summer before genealogy and DNA records pointed to Calvin Hoover, a man who had been a friend of the Jessop family, as the likely killer. Hoover committed suicide in 2015.

鈥淚 found his name at 2 a.m. one night,鈥� McCarter said. 鈥淭hat genealogy was so hard, compared to Harry鈥檚. All of these people had 12 kids, and their kids had 12 kids, and then I had to keep going until I found Calvin. I knew he had to be from these parents, but I could not find any kids until I found three, all at once. I found them through a voting record, because they all lived in the same household in Ontario.鈥�

Her third case was the one that hit closer to home.

In 1982, the body of an 18-month-old girl was discovered in the Escatawpa River just across the state line in Mississippi. The girl became known as 鈥淒elta Dawn,鈥� or 鈥淏aby Jane Doe,鈥� but she was never identified and what happened to her remained a mystery.

When the case was reopened last year, the Jackson County Sheriff鈥檚 Department turned to the Othram DNA laboratory, where a team of Redgrave forensic genetic genealogists worked. A fresh DNA sample and genealogy records led police to a child and mother reported missing from Joplin, Missouri. Family there said the mother had met a man and was moving to start a new life in Florida. She remains missing and her body has never been found. Her child was identified as Alisha Ann Heinrich.

While working to identify the girl, McCarter would visit her grave in Jackson County Memorial Park. She would clean the gravesite marked 鈥淏aby Jane, Known Only to God.鈥� She would bring flowers.

鈥淪omebody had to remember,鈥� she said. 鈥淯ntil her name was returned to her.鈥�

The 鈥淒elta Dawn鈥� case helped her make contacts in Mississippi law enforcement. She met everyone from FBI agents to sheriff鈥檚 officers.

Lt. Eddie Clark, one of the Jackson County investigators, remembers when McCarter visited the department to explain what Redgrave Research had found and how they had found it.

鈥淲e were floored by her skill set and how deep she could dig,鈥� Clark said. 鈥淓xcellent job, she did an excellent job. It was crazy how they did this, how they went back and built a family tree. I didn鈥檛 think it was going to be a college-age student who broke this case. Thank God for her.鈥�

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think it was going to be a college-age student who broke this case. Thank God for her.鈥�

The 'Wizard' and the Intern

McCarter was born in Texas but grew up in Alabama. Her parents own several feed stores near Grand Bay, where she works part-time and saves money to pay her own tuition at South.

Olivia 鈥� 鈥淟iv鈥� to her friends 鈥� was home-schooled by her mother. Her independent study included genealogy and then forensics, though no one in the family expected her research to go so far and so fast.

鈥淲e鈥檙e extremely proud of our daughter,鈥� said Tracy McCarter. 鈥淪he showed an aptitude very early on. She鈥檚 an excellent online researcher. What鈥檚 she鈥檚 doing now is outside our experience, our areas of expertise, so we鈥檙e kind of learning right along with her.鈥�

She describes Olivia as an introvert who goes her own way. After years of home school, the McCarters were worried that she might have trouble adjusting to college in Mobile. Instead, she thrived.

鈥淚t was very different,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think I would acclimate, but I did. I met so many amazing professors, and I made a lot of friends.鈥�

Dr. Philip Carr, professor of anthropology and the Chief Calvin McGhee Endowed Professor of Native American Studies, taught McCarter in several classes. She is quiet and unassuming, but often winds up leading her class team. Then she started telling him about her extracurricular work in forensic genealogy.

鈥淭hat came as a complete surprise,鈥� Carr said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 expect a student to already have these kinds of experiences. We hope that our students have an internship by their senior year.鈥�

When the coronavirus pandemic arrived, McCarter began spending more time at home in Grand Bay. She studies, works at the feed store business and spends hour after hour online.

She likes to wear jeans, Air Jordans and a pink cap that says 鈥淪OUTH.鈥� She has several tattoos on her left arm. She wears glasses that fog up behind a face mask decorated with pictures of cats.

McCarter talks with her forensic research colleagues almost every day. Her mentor, Anthony Redgrave, is a co-founder of the company and a pioneer in the field.

鈥淗e鈥檚 basically a wizard,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 owe everything to him.鈥�

Redgrave, who鈥檚 trained law enforcement officers, often works on cold cases with DNA samples provided by police departments across the country. He teaches his team members how to compare DNA records and genealogy records to triangulate relationships within a family tree. The latter has been made easier in recent years with commercial genealogy websites, along with organizations such as NamUs, an information clearinghouse and resource center for missing person cases.

McCarter was a quick study. He first met her on genealogy websites and forums, where he noticed that her hypotheses and educated guesses usually turned out to be correct.

鈥淪he just got it, you know?鈥� he said. 鈥淪he really fit the bill of exactly what we wanted in an intern.鈥�

Redgrave has been impressed with her teamwork on investigations this year. She鈥檚 shown the patience and perseverance to see cases through. She鈥檚 taken the lead in some projects.

鈥淗er memory and attention to detail really set her apart,鈥� he said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 really good at analyzing things off the cuff and then remembering something important from months ago.鈥�

Unfinished Business

McCarter is looking forward to her next semester at South, where she鈥檚 a member of the Student Anthropological Society. She hopes to graduate in 2023. She鈥檚 already planning to earn a master鈥檚 degree and Ph.D in forensic anthropology.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to teach, though,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 want to work with law enforcement.鈥�

McCarter is the kind of a dogged researcher who also has the people skills to talk with family members. She still keeps in touch with Harry鈥檚 children from her first case.

鈥淚 talk to them often,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey follow my genealogy stuff. I guess we鈥檒l always be connected.鈥�

At Redgrave Research, she remains the youngest intern, but has become a team leader. She says she still has a lot to learn. She鈥檚 looking forward to new cases.

鈥淚 get emotionally tired because of how terrible the cases are sometimes, but I don鈥檛 get tired of the puzzles,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 haven鈥檛 yet, at least.鈥�

鈥淚 get emotionally tired because of how terrible the cases are sometimes, but I don鈥檛 get tired of the puzzles.鈥�

In her bedroom, McCarter keeps a framed photograph of Alisha Ann Heinrich from the 鈥淒elta Dawn鈥� case. She still visits the girl鈥檚 memorial in Jackson County Memorial Park.

Next to her plot is the grave of another baby girl whose body has never been identified. For McCarter, this is unfinished business.

鈥淒efinitely,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 won鈥檛 give up on that until it鈥檚 solved, too.鈥�

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