“Knox County Jane Doe” positively identified 33 years later

KNOX COUNTY, Ky. (WTVQ) – A family is getting some closure, 33 years after their loved one went missing.

Kentucky State Police have confirmed the identity of a woman found in an old refrigerator on the side of U.S. 25E in Knox County in April 1985.

An autopsy revealed she had been murdered.

State Police say investigators were contacted in October 2017 by a family member of Espy Regina Black-Pilgrim, who said Black-Pilgrim may be the “Knox County Jane Doe” they found.

Detectives traveled to North Carolina to take DNA samples from possible relatives to send to National Missing and Unidentified Persons System for comparison.

On Monday, State Police confirmed DNA tests showed Espy Regina Black-Pilgrim is the “Knox County Jane Doe.”

State Police say this is still an ongoing murder investigation and anyone with information is ask to contact Kentucky State Police-Post 10 (606-573-3131).