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Murder of Pamela Walton

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Pamela Leigh Walton
High school yearbook photograph of Walton prior to undergoing gender transition
BornMay 13, 1963
Kentucky, United States
DisappearedAfter July 6, 1988
Lexington, Kentucky
StatusIdentified on March 10, 2025
Diedc. July–September 1988 (aged 25)
Cause of deathHomicide by undetermined means[1][2]
Body discoveredSeptember 25, 1988
Clermont, Florida
NationalityAmerican
Known forFormerly unidentified victim of homicide
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)

Pamela Leigh Walton (May 13, 1963[3] – c. July–September 1988) was a transgender woman believed to have been murdered in Clermont, Florida, in 1988. Her remains remained unidentified for nearly 37 years until March 2025.[4] She was thought to be a cisgender woman until DNA testing in 2015.[5]

Prior to her identification, she was known as "Julie Doe".

Discovery

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Walton's mummified remains were located at a roadside in the "Green Swamp" area of Clermont, Lake County, Florida, on September 25, 1988. A man looking for lumber made the initial discovery. The body was dragged to a concealed area, off the roadway of County Road 474, not far from the border between Lake and Polk Counties.[6]

Walton wore a bluish-green tank top and an acid-washed denim skirt. The pantyhose she wore had been partially removed, suggesting that sexual assault may have taken place.[7] No shoes, jewelry, or other personal items were found at the scene, including forms of identification.[8] Investigators suspect murder because of the suspicious circumstances surrounding the placement of her body.[6][2]

Based on the condition of the body, it was estimated that she had died about two weeks to eight months before the discovery.[9][10] The remains were not in recognizable condition.[11]

Examination

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Walton’s remains were subject to an autopsy the morning after her discovery at the C.A. Pound Human Identification Laboratory in Gainesville, Florida,[2] by William R. Maples.[11] The cause of death was not apparent.

The victim's hair was described as long and bleached a strawberry-blond color. She had long, manicured fingernails, which may have been artificial.[9] Healed fractures were identified on her toes, one of her cheekbones, a rib, and possibly her nose.[12] She was between 5'9" and 5'11" tall (175 and 180 cm), weighing between 150 and 180 pounds (69 and 82 kg).[9] She had also undergone cosmetic surgeries. She had 250cc silicone breast implants, which would appear proportional to the victim's body.[11][2] The procedure may have been performed in Atlanta, Georgia; Miami, Florida; New Orleans, Louisiana; New York City; or California.[5] It is believed the sex reassignment surgery occurred around 1984, based on the fact that the implants were discontinued around 1983.[11] She apparently had a rhinoplasty, which may have been related to the injury she sustained to her nose. It was initially thought she had given birth at least once, based on evidence of pitting on the pelvis, attributed to hormonal changes.[11][13]

The victim was initially believed to be a cisgender woman until a 2015 DNA test found XY chromosomes, showing that she was assigned male at birth and had transitioned or was in the process of transitioning, based on the cosmetic surgeries she had undergone.[5][better source needed][13] Additionally, she was taking hormone replacement medication, which caused changes to the pelvic bones, leading to the previous assumption she had a history of pregnancy.[11]

In September 2024, the DNA Doe Project announced that she had ancestral ties to central Kentucky, specifically Madison, Fayette, Garrard, and Mercer counties, though she had spent most of her life in the Florida area. This indicated a possibility that she was not raised by her biological family.[14]

Investigation

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Shortly after the remains were discovered, fingerprints were taken in hopes of identifying the victim.[6] An initial sketch was created to depict an approximation of her appearance in life.[2] After the discovery that Pamela was a transgender woman, the sheriff's department commissioned a new forensic sketch to be created from the skull; retired detective and forensic artist Stephen Fusco created the image.[2] This is also the time when she received her nickname.[8] Students examining her remains selected the name "Julie" from the LGBT-themed film, To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar.[11]

In July 2018, isotopic tests were performed in Tampa, Florida, by the University of South Florida on samples from Pamela's skull to pinpoint potential locations where she resided.[1][8] The results suggested that she originated from southern Florida. A sergeant working on the case voiced the possibility that the victim underwent challenges related to being a transgender woman during the 1980s.[8][1] Others have elaborated that family estrangement or disownment may have played a role in her status as unidentified.[13] As no missing individuals from this region matched her description, her disappearance was likely unreported.[7]

Investigators sought services from the DNA Doe Project, which specializes in identifying potential family members of unknown individuals through genetic genealogy. Two attempts, funded by the investigating agency, to extract enough DNA from the bones proved unsuccessful.[11] The organization later began fundraising for a third attempt in November 2018, which also failed to generate a usable file.[15] In January 2020, a suitable sample was successfully obtained for genealogical research after a fourth lab was consulted.[16][13]

DNA Doe Project volunteers Lee and Anthony Redgrave founded the Trans Doe Task Force to advocate for unidentified victims who were transgender or gender non-conforming. The pair voiced concern that genetic genealogy research may reveal a decedent's birth and/or legal name but may not provide what title the individual preferred during life. One of the task force's goals is to research, following an identification, how the subject identified to prevent deadnaming.[13]

Identification

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On March 10, 2025, the decedent nicknamed "Julie Doe" was announced to have been identified as Pamela Leigh Walton. Walton was born in Kentucky and was put up for adoption as a child.[4] In the mid-1980s, she had a falling out with her adoptive family over an alleged theft from a family member. As a result, Walton lost contact with her adoptive family, and they never reported her missing.[17] Around July 6, 1988, she was arrested in Lexington, Kentucky, on one charge of prostitution. After the solicitation portion of the charge was dropped, Walton disappeared and was never heard from again.[18]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Ray, Karla (December 17, 2018). "Science provides new lead in 30-year-old Florida cold case". WFTV. ABC. Archived from the original on January 28, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Hayes, Christal (November 21, 2015). "New sketch released: Do you recognize this transgender woman". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on January 28, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  3. ^ "Lee Allan Walton (1963-unknown) - Find a Grave..." Find a Grave. Retrieved March 11, 2025.
  4. ^ a b Green, Angel (March 10, 2025). "'Julie Doe' from 1988 Lake County case has been identified". WFTV. Retrieved March 10, 2025.
  5. ^ a b c ""Julie Doe" - Transgender woman likely murdered in 1988, believed to be cisgender for 27 years". Daily Kos. November 19, 2015. Archived from the original on September 27, 2018. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  6. ^ a b c "Body Found in Woods Still Unidentified". Orlando Sentinel. September 26, 1988. Archived from the original on January 18, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  7. ^ a b "2752UMFL". The Doe Network. The Doe Network. May 1, 2016. Archived from the original on July 12, 2018. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  8. ^ a b c d Ray, Karla (July 17, 2018). "9 Investigates: New technology could bring closure to cold cases". WFTV. Archived from the original on January 28, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  9. ^ a b c "Do you know this woman? Police release sketch of transgender victim in cold case - Watermark Online". Watermark Online. November 30, 2015. Archived from the original on September 27, 2018. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  10. ^ "Unidentified Person Case". NamUs. October 14, 2009. Archived from the original on June 9, 2019. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h Redgrave, Lee and Anthony (December 28, 2018). "The Incredible Postmortem Journey of "Transgender Julie Doe"". Trans Doe Task Force. Archived from the original on January 18, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  12. ^ Hyman, Jayme (November 21, 2015). "New Sketch of "Julie Doe", Transgender Woman Still Unidentified After 27 Years". Daily Kos. Archived from the original on September 27, 2018. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  13. ^ a b c d e Zhang, Sarah (December 23, 2019). "Sleuths Are Haunted by the Cold Case of Julie Doe". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on February 23, 2020. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  14. ^ "September 2024 Update". Facebook.
  15. ^ "Transgender Julie Doe". DNA Doe Project. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  16. ^ "DNA Doe Project Case Updates". Facebook. January 17, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  17. ^ "Body ID'd as transgender woman in Lake County cold case". Yahoo News. March 10, 2025. Retrieved March 11, 2025.
  18. ^ "Pam Walton". Lexington Herald-Leader. July 6, 1988. p. 45. Retrieved March 11, 2025.
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