Episode 5: Precedent

AdvocacyCon is coming to Albuquerque in September of 2026, and I'll be speaking about Becca's case, ethical research, and how creators can help solve doe cases.    In-person and virtual tickets are available now at advocacycon.com Use SPELLMAN10 for a discount at checkout.  Check out the program's wishlist: AdCon Wishlist

On March 4th, 2026, the Albuquerque Police Department announced Becca Doe's identification. It would have been her 53rd birthday.   In the final episode of this season, I recap what the last three months looked like for Becca's case behind the scenes, reflect on what her life may have looked like in the year before her death, and what it means to move forward without leaving those we love behind. 

Author, researcher, podcast host and former professor Laurah Norton has been reporting on cold cases since 2017, specializing in stories that society seems to have left behind. In 2020, she and forensic anthropologist Dr. Amy Michael teamed up to breathe new life into the 1993 case of Ina Jane Doe. The amount of travel, science, and research involved was enough to fill a novel. So, she wrote one.    Purchase Lay Them to Rest: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/laurah-norton/lay-them-to-rest/9780306828829/ Listen to The Fall Line: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/ Listen to One Strange Thing: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/

Note: This episode was recorded and produced before the announcement of Becca Doe's identity.    Lisa Ivany, a Team Lead at the nonprofit DNA Doe Project, sat down with me to discuss all things IGG, the hit National Geographic show Naming the Dead, and the ways some of the coldest cases turn warm again.    Learn more about DDP: https://dnadoeproject.org/ Watch Naming the Dead now: https://www.hulu.com/series/naming-the-dead-b7fdaaa1-1b4f-40bb-9f92-d03086e103cc  

On March 4th 2026, the Albuquerque Police Department, in conjunction with the Ramapo College Investigative Genetic Genealogy program and Parabon labs, announced the identification of Becca Doe as Rebecca Mallekoote, of Tacoma, Washington.  A full final episode of this season will be released in the coming weeks.   

Note: This episode was recorded and produced before the announcement of Becca Doe's identity.    From social workers to business admins, forensic scientists to stay-at-home-moms, the volunteers working behind the scenes of recently solved Doe cases might not what you expect. Tracie Boyle, the case manager for the Ramapo College Of New Jersey's Investigative Genetic Genealogy program, walked me through the process of collecting DNA samples, building trees, and how it all comes together to bring the nameless back home.    Learn more about IGG: https://www.ramapo.edu/igg/  

On November 4, 2010, the remains of a man were discovered on a logging trail in Stacyville, Maine. Miles away, a community in Concord, Massachusetts was missing a beloved teacher.  This is the story of how he was brought home.

George Martinez tells his side of the story to Detective Heather Chavez.     

The current detective on Jane Doe's case answers questions I've had for years, including the results of the most recent DNA sample submitted for comparison between a young woman's mother and Becca Jane Doe.

Becca Jane Doe's post-mortem reconstruction was done in 1991. It's time she was given a new face. The Albuquerque records department gives me the news I was afraid of.