From “Bone Woman” to Donna Nelton: A Jane Doe Identified After Decades with guest reader Devyn Dalton
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For over 30 years she was known only as “Bone Woman”—until DNA gave her back her name: Donna Nelton.
In 1990, burned skeletal remains were discovered in rural Benton County, Arkansas. For decades, she was known only as “Bone Woman,” or Benton County Jane Doe.
The condition of her remains made identification nearly impossible—and for over 30 years, her name was lost.
In 2022, investigators used investigative genetic genealogy to identify her.
Her name was Donna Nelton.
In this episode of She Goes by Jane, we trace Donna’s case from discovery to identification, examining the limitations that kept her unnamed for decades—and the forensic breakthroughs that finally restored her identity. What does it mean to be known only by circumstance? And what does it take to return a name after so long?
📍 Benton County, Arkansas | 1990 (discovery) — 2022 (identified)
📖 Featuring an original poem written in her honor, read by Devyn Dalton, actor, dancer, and stunt performer.
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📚 Doe by Aimee Baker — available via University of Akron Press, Bookshop.org, and Amazon
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More about Devyn Dalton:
Devyn Dalton, a Canadian born actor, dancer and stunt woman extraordinaire. A few of Ms. Dalton’s well known credits include, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, War for the Planet of the Apes, The BFG, Hypnotic, DC Legends of Tomorrow, Two Sentence Horror Story, Fairly Odd Christmas, Beyblade Burst, My Little Pony, Peter Pan and Wendy and The Last of Us. Upcoming projects include Brothers, playing the role of Samuel alongside Josh Brolin, Peter Dinklage, Brendan Fraser, Marisa Tomei, and Glenn Close, as well as in Grand Death Lotto directed by Paul Feig, and The Electric State, cast as the lead motion capture role of Cosmo and acting alongside Millie Bobby Brown, Christ Pratt, Ke Huy Quan, Jason Alexander, Billy Bob Thornton and Stanley Tucci.