Decades of uncertainty ended this week with the identification of “Bones 17” as Lori Anne Razpotnik, a victim of the Green River Killer found in Auburn in 1985 who remained unknown for 40 years.

In 1982, Lori Anne was just 15 years old and lived with her family in Lewis County. She ran away at some point during that year and her family never saw her again. King County Detectives contacted Lori Anne’s mother who provided them with a saliva sample. The University of North Texas did DNA comparison testing which confirmed that they were Lori Anne’s remains.

Parabon NanoLabs, which developed and operates the Snapshot ® Advanced DNA Analysis Service, is a vertically integrated DNA technology company located in Reston, Virginia, which develops next-generation forensic and therapeutic products, that leverage the enormous power of DNA. Staffed by a uniquely qualified team of scientists, analysts, and technologists, with expertise ranging from bioinformatics and genetic genealogy to chemistry and computer science, Parabon is bringing to market revolutionary new products and services made possible by recent advances in DNA sequencing, analysis, and manufacturing technologies.

Thanks to advancements in DNA technology, Parabon NanoLabs, a forensic genetic genealogy company, successfully identified the remains as those of Lori Anne Razpotnik, a 15-year-old who disappeared from Lewis County, Washington in 1982.

The Green River Killer, Gary Ridgway, confessed to murdering Razpotnik and another unidentified victim (“Bones 16”) in 2003, leading investigators to the location of their remains near Auburn.

While “Bones 16” was identified as Sandra Majors in 2012, Razpotnik’s case remained unsolved until now.

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