Ride the Cyclone: Remembering Those Who Are Lost
An educational outreach initiative from Moxxy Forensic Investigations.
Ride the Cyclone explores questions of identity, memory, and what it means to be remembered. Those themes resonate deeply with the work we do at Moxxy Forensic Investigations.
Moxxy works to restore identities to unidentified individuals and help families and investigative agencies find answers. Through our educational outreach at participating Ride the Cyclone productions, we invite audiences to learn more about unidentified-person investigations, investigative genetic genealogy, and the work that goes into restoring an identity.
At select performances, Moxxy team members will be on site to share information about our work, answer questions, and introduce audiences to the real-world cases behind the mission — including the story of a woman who has remained unidentified for more than two decades.
Because everyone deserves to be remembered by name.
A Real Case: 2001 Mississippi Jane Doe
On June 27, 2001, the partial skeletal remains of an unidentified woman were discovered in a wooded area of Perry County, Mississippi. Her remains were found approximately one mile from a public road on U.S. Forest Service land, near an old logging road known as Woods Road.
Investigators determined that she was a White/Caucasian woman between approximately 20 and 35 years old, with brown hair. She stood between approximately 4 feet 7 inches and 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighed an estimated 135 pounds. Her death was determined to have resulted from blunt force trauma to the head.
More than two decades later, her identity remains unknown.
But she is more than a case number.
Before she became known as Jane Doe, she had a name, relationships, memories, and a life of her own. Her identity did not disappear simply because investigators have not yet been able to determine who she was.
The 2001 Mississippi Jane Doe is the first case selected for The Magnolia Project, a Moxxy Forensic Investigations initiative undertaken in partnership with the Mississippi State Repository for Missing and Unidentified Persons.
Through The Magnolia Project, Moxxy is working to identify 30 unidentified women who were victims of homicide in Mississippi using investigative genetic genealogy and other investigative resources.
Her case provides a real-world example of the challenges involved in identifying an unidentified person — and of the investigative tools that can help bring answers after decades of uncertainty.
She had a name. Our work is to help uncover it.
Why Ride the Cyclone?
Ride the Cyclone is a musical centered around six teenagers who find themselves reflecting on their lives, identities, and the stories they leave behind. Across the country, community and university theaters bring these characters to life for new audiences.
For Moxxy, those themes carry a special meaning. The people we investigate had lives, relationships, memories, and identities of their own. When someone remains unidentified, their story can become separated from the identity they once knew — leaving families, loved ones, and investigators searching for answers.
That connection is why Moxxy is bringing our educational outreach to participating productions. We want audiences to learn more about unidentified-person investigations, the people behind these cases, and the role investigative genetic genealogy can play in helping restore identities after years — and sometimes decades — of uncertainty.
At its heart, this initiative is about one simple idea: being remembered by name matters.
How Does Investigative Genetic GEnealogy (IGG) work?
From resources to investigative lead, every case is a process.
Resources
Investigative genetic genealogy requires resources at multiple stages of the process. Laboratory testing, database access or uploads, research tools, and other investigative expenses may all require funding before a case can move forward. Moxxy raises funds to help make this work possible and to advance cases that might otherwise remain unresolved.
Develop a DNA Profile
Every IGG investigation begins with developing a DNA profile from the unidentified person's remains. This involves DNA extraction, sequencing, and bioinformatics to prepare the genetic data for the investigative process.
Upload to Appropriate Databases
When a suitable profile is available, it will be uploaded to appropriate genetic genealogy databases (GEDmatch, DNA Justice, and Family Tree DNA), where permitted. The resulting genetic matches can provide researchers with clues about the unidentified person's biological family.
Genealogical Research
Genetic matches are only the beginning. Investigative genetic genealogists combine DNA relationships with traditional genealogical research, historical records, public records, and other sources to build family trees and identify potential family connections.
Investigate the Lead
Researchers analyze the available evidence to develop and evaluate potential identities. This may involve additional genealogical research, investigative research, and collaboration with investigative agencies to determine whether a potential identification is supported by the evidence.
Where to Find Moxxy
Moxxy team members will be present at select Ride the Cyclone performances to share information about investigative genetic genealogy, unidentified-person investigations, and the work we do to help restore identities.
Visit a participating production to learn more, meet members of the Moxxy team, and explore the real-world cases behind our mission.
Please note: Moxxy's educational outreach is conducted independently and with the permission of participating productions. Production schedules and Moxxy's outreach dates are subject to change. Please visit each production's official website for current performance information.
Every Person Has A Story
For more than two decades, this woman has been known only as Jane Doe. Her identity has not changed simply because it has not yet been discovered.
Her case is one example of the thousands of unidentified people whose identities remain unknown — and of the scientific, genealogical, and investigative work being done to restore those identities.
We invite you to learn more about Moxxy Forensic Investigations, investigative genetic genealogy, and the people behind the cases we work to solve.