FAULKNER COUNTY, Ark. (KTHV) -- With the rise in use of particular technologies, previously submitted DNA results have given Falkner County investigators a person of interest in a 28-year-old cold case.
On the evening of Feb. 2, 1990, the Faulkner County Sheriff’s Office has reason to believe that Pam Felkins was abducted from the Crossroads Video store in Greenbrier, Arkansas. Her brutally murdered body was discovered late morning on Feb. 3, 1990 at a dump site off Clinton Mountain Rd.
Sheriff Tim Ryals assigned this case to investigators with the Faulkner County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Division. With the advancements in DNA technology, Investigators Fowlkes and Hill have resubmitted evidence to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for DNA, toxicology, and trace evidence analysis.
With the advent of certain technologies, previously submitted DNA results have given investigators persons of interest.
Investigators recently sought the services of ParabonNanoLabs, a DNA technology company that specializes in DNA Phenotyping: the process of predicting physical appearance and ancestry from unidentified DNA evidence. Law enforcement agencies use the company’s DNA Phenotyping Service (known as Snapshot) to narrow suspect lists and generate leads in criminal investigations.
Using DNA evidence from this investigation, Snapshot produced trait predictions for a person of interest. Individual predictions were made for the subject’s ancestry, eye color, hair color, skin color, freckling, and face shape.
By combining these attributes of appearance, a Snapshot composite was produced depicting with the person of interest may have looked like at 25 years old with an average BMI of 22. These default values were used because age and BMI cannot be determined by DNA.
Below you will see results for the profile created from the Snapshot. The first image is a composite shown at the age 25. The second has an age progression to the approximate age of 55-years-old.
The Faulkner County Sheriff's Office has partnered with many organizations throughout this entire investigation with a common goal: to bring justice to the offender and closure for the Felkins family.
Sheriff Tim Ryals expresses his appreciation to the 20th Judicial Prosecuting Attorney's Office, Arkansas State Police, Greenbrier Police Department, Conway Police Department, Faulkner County Coroner's Office, Arkansas State Crime Lab to include the medical examiner's office, and the FBI for their on-going assistance with this case.
If you have any information, you are asked to call 501-450-4917 and ask to speak with Investigator Hill or Fowlkes. Your tips can be anonymous.
