Chain of Custody & The University Alley Discovery
On the morning of April 27, 2002, a pedestrian walking in an alleyway situated behind a strip commercial center near University Drive and Rural Road in Tempe, Maricopa County, Arizona—in close proximity to the Arizona State University campus—discovered the body of an unidentified teenage girl lying on the pavement.
Tempe Police Department officers and death investigators from the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office responded. The decedent was fully clothed, bore no external physical trauma, and had passed away within hours of recovery.
Autopsy & Forensic Toxicology Findings
An autopsy performed by the Maricopa County Medical Examiner determined the decedent was an adolescent Hispanic or Native American female, estimated between 15 and 19 years of age, standing 5 feet 1 inch tall and weighing approximately 125 pounds. She had brown eyes, long black hair, and natural dentition without dental work.
Comprehensive postmortem forensic toxicology revealed lethal concentrations of cocaine and opiates (heroin metabolites). The cause of death was ruled acute accidental polysubstance intoxication. She wore a purple tank top, blue denim jeans with a wide leather belt, and black athletic shoes, but possessed no purse, wallet, or identification. She was entered into NamUs as UP1989.
DNA Doe Project Genomic Investigation
With zero matching missing persons reports logged in Arizona or federal clearinghouses, the Tempe Police Department partnered with the DNA Doe Project in 2021. Biological samples were submitted for SNP microarray genotyping to initiate genealogical kinship tracing.