ST. MARTIN, Miss. ( WJTV ) – After nearly 20 years, a Hurricane Katrina victim from Mississippi has been identified.

According to DNASolves.com , a search and rescue team in St. Martin, Mississippi, discovered the remains of an unidentified woman in September 2005, which was about a week after Katrina made landfall. Investigators were able to determine the remains were those of a Black woman, estimated to be between 50 and 59-years-old.

Despite their investigation, authorities were unable to identify the woman. She was buried at Machpelah Cemetery in Pascagoula, Mississippi, where the headstone read “Jane Love.” Officials said details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System.

In 2023, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI) and the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office exhumed the remains and submitted forensic evidence to Othram in the Woodlands, Texas, to determine if advanced DNA testing could identify her. They were able to develop a suitable DNA extract to build a DNA profile.

A follow-up investigation led to the genetic relatives of the woman. In May 2024, the woman was identified as Tonette Jackson.

According to family, Tonette and her husband, Hardy, were forced into their attic when flood waters began to rise in Biloxi, Mississippi, during Hurricane Katrina. Their home was split in half, and both Tonette and Hardy were swept away by the flood.

The family said Hardy managed to grab onto a tree and saw his wife in the water. Though he tried to hold onto her, the family said Tonette urged him to let go and take care of their children and grandchildren. She was swept away, and her body was never found. Hardy died in 2013.

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