The Brief

  • A woman’s remains found in 1992 have been identified.

  • The woman’s killer is still unknown.

  • The organization that identified her are looking into another Harris County “Jane Doe” case.

HOUSTON – On September 8, 1992, a passerby found a woman’s remains near 500 Rittenhouse on Houston’s Northside.

“Jane Doe” remains found

At the time, investigators described the victim as a white woman between 20 and 30-years-old, about 5-foot-1 with brown hair roughly eight inches long. She had a lower-spine scoliosis condition and artificial upper front teeth secured with a temporary bridge. Despite extensive work by law enforcement and forensic experts, her identity remained unknown for more than 30 years.

That same time period, Spencer Graham says her mother disappeared.

“She disappeared when I was 2-years-old — so I have very little memory of her. For the longest time, we had just assumed she had left on her own,” she said.

It was only a few years ago that she came to the conclusion after talking to family that her mother must have been killed.

“She wouldn’t have left for over 30 years without a single call,” she said.

Little did Graham know, she was just months away from getting some answers.

The forensic investigation

In 2024, Moxxy Forensic Investigations took on the 1992 “Jane Doe” case. The 501c3, working with the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, launched an investigative genetic genealogy effort funded by public crowdfunding and sponsorship from Criminal Coffee Co. Genealogy work formally began Dec. 5, 2024.

“There are so many people searching for answers and who deserve to have those answers of what happened to their loved ones,” said Katie Thomas, co-founder and president of Moxxy Forensic Investigations.

Intermountain Forensics extracted DNA from the remains and generated a profile that enabled family-tree research. An eight-member team of volunteer genealogists with Moxxy ultimately led to a positive identification in 2025.

Those results were sent to the Harris County Forensic Institute of Forensic Sciences for confirmation.

The identification – 3 decades later

Then, the “Jane Doe” was officially identified as Joann Zamora, born Aug. 27, 1963 – Graham’s mother.

“I truly thought I was never going to get those answers. It’s so hard to process that this is my mother — it’s becoming more real,” said Graham.

Zamora’s killer has not been identified, and her case is still an open homicide investigation with the Houston Police Department.

Criminal Coffee Co. has offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person or people responsible for Zamora’s death. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Houston Police Department or Crime Stoppers.

Moxxy’s next investigation

Moxxy Forensic Investigations is working on another Harris County case involving a 1994 Jane Doe. They’re currently raising the funding needed to start the investigation and say community donations help pay for that specialized DNA testing and genealogical research.

On October 28, 1994, the skeletal remains of a 20–30-year-old presumed female, identified as White/Caucasian, were discovered in a wooded area by surveyors near the San Jacinto River. It is believed that this individual may have died two to seven years prior to discovery.

The individual was estimated to be 5’1″. Upon discovery, the individual was found to be wearing a brown blouse with stripes, yellow thong-style sandals, and had a small, rectangular shaped purse.

You can find out to help with funding the identification in this case by clicking here.

The Source