SEABROOK, N.H. — Investigators are working to identify the skull of a young girl that was found at a local business in Seabrook, New Hampshire, in 1994.
The business owner claimed he had purchased the skull in New York, but investigators were unable to determine its original origin.
Years later, the DNA Doe Project took on the cold case known as Little Lost Seabrook Doe, leading to significant new discoveries.
Since the skull was found, two forensic anthropologists have examined it and determined that it belonged to a girl between 7 and 9 years old who likely died between two and ten years before it was discovered.
The anthropologists also concluded that the skull had been exposed to the elements for an extended period before it was cleaned and displayed at the business.
When the New Hampshire State Police submitted the skull to the DNA Doe Project, the team was able to determine that the child was of Greek heritage, with strong ancestral ties to the island of Chios.
Investigators believe it is possible that she lived and died in Greece before her skull was transported to the United States. However, it is also possible that she was born and raised in the U.S. within a Greek family.
Genetic genealogy revealed connections to families originating from Chios. Surnames appearing in her family tree include Kaitis, Kladia, Fafalios, Mathioudis, Palios, Stamoulis, Menis, Antokas, and Sideratos.
The DNA Doe Project is now asking for the public’s help, particularly from individuals whose families immigrated from Chios or who still live there. Anyone who has taken a consumer DNA test can upload their results to databases accessible to the DNA Doe Project, including GEDmatch, DNA Justice, and FamilyTreeDNA.
If a DNA match is found, it could help identify relatives of the young girl and ultimately lead to her identification. Even distant relatives may provide critical clues in solving this decades-old mystery.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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