By james art 
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The Republic
Corrections and clarifications: An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified US 60.
The remains of an elderly woman found more than 35 years ago along a state highway in Pinal County have been identified as those of a Scottsdale grandmother. Authorities believe her killer may have benefited financially from her death.
Evelyn “Dotty” Lees, who was 88 or 89, has been identified as the woman whose remains were found June 28, 1988, in a remote area of Pinal County on State Route 79, just south of US 60, according to the the county sheriff. Lees was buried in a hidden grave and is believed to have died a year earlier, with evidence suggesting she may have been strangled, the agency reported.
“For an elderly grandmother to be the victim of a violent crime and then go unidentified for 36 years is a tragedy,” Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb said in a Facebook post. “We are grateful to the DNA Doe Project, its donors and Dr. Bruce Anderson of the Pima County Medical Examiner’s Office, who all helped this woman have some peace in death.”
Lees’ surviving relatives have been notified. Originally from Salt Lake City, she was born about 1898, according to the DNA Doe Project.
The sheriff’s office said Lees was never reported missing and no death certificate exists for her. Investigators believe she may have been the victim of pension fraud, with evidence that the suspects, now deceased, continued to collect her benefits nearly a decade after her death.
According to the sheriff’s office, Lees was identified through the efforts of the DNA Doe Project, a nonprofit organization that hires private DNA labs and genetic genealogists. After limited resources initially halted the investigation, the organization assisted with the expensive work on this cold case. Dr. Anderson, who has been involved since Lees’ remains were first exhumed, approached the DNA Doe Project for help last year, the nonprofit said.
Before she was identified, Lees was listed by the DNA Doe Project as “Florence Junction Secret Grave Jane Doe 1988,” named for the year and nearby Florence Junction where she was found. Genetic genealogists knew that Lees was found in a flowered dress or housecoat, with medium-length gray hair showing hints of blond.
The nonprofit explained that Lees’ identification began with bone samples from her remains that yielded a DNA profile. This profile was uploaded to the genetic databases GEDmatch Pro and FamilyTreeDNA, revealing partial matches that helped build a family tree. Using traditional genealogical techniques and historical records, the researchers then identified a common ancestor, which ultimately led to her identification, the DNA Doe Project said.
Volunteer genetic genealogists have identified a 19th-century married couple whose DNA indicates they are likely Lees’ grandparents, according to the DNA Doe Project. Hours later, the nonprofit added that Lees had been identified after establishing links between her and distant relatives.
Nearly $5,000 in donations went toward lab fees and costs to manage the Lees’ genetic genealogy case, which involved nine genetic genealogists, according to the DNA Doe Project.