A body found along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Southwest Michigan 37 years ago has been identified as a missing Chicago woman. 

Michigan State Police say the woman, who has been known for decades as "New Buffalo Jane Doe," is 71-year-old Dorothy Glanton of Chicago. 

Glanton was reported missing after she left her Chicago home on Dec. 9, 1987, according to police. On April 8, 1988, Glanton's remains were found along Lake Michigan near New Buffalo.

Despite their efforts, investigators were unable to identify the remains until 2023, when Michigan State Police reopened the case and began working with the DNA Doe Project, a nonprofit that specializes in investigative genetic genealogy. Researchers used DNA extracted from Glanton's remains to construct a family tree, which finally led to her identification. 

When Glanton's remains were found in 1988, investigators say early assessments suggested that the remains were of a white woman in her 40s or 50s. The genetic genealogy process later revealed that Glanton was an African American woman in her early 70s at the time of her death. 

"This identification brings closure to a family that has wondered for nearly four decades what happened to their loved one," said D/Sgt. John Moore of the Michigan State Police Niles Post, who was the lead detective on the case. "We're grateful for the dedication of all those who worked tirelessly on this case." 

Michigan State Police collaborated with the DNA Doe Project, Western Michigan University's Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, Astrea Forensics, HudsonAlpha Discovery and Kevin Lord, as well as the Illinois State Police and the New Buffalo, Chicago and Evanston police departments, to solve the decades-long mystery.