On Tuesday, the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office in New Mexico announced that human remains that were found 37 years ago have been identified as a 16 year old Wichita girl who went missing in 1984.
Dorothy Harrison was last seen leaving her Wichita home around 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 25th, 1984. Harrison reportedly got into a car with two unknown girls.
It was reported that Dorothy would frequently leave her home and would routinely be gone for weeks during the summer. Law enforcement would always locate her and bring her home, but she would inevitably leave again, always staying in Kansas.
Approximately a week and a half after Dorothy ran away her family received a phone call from her saying she was in Los Angeles. A few weeks later her family received another phone call from Dorothy saying that she was in El Paso, Texas and that she was on her way home. That was the last time the family heard from her.
Then on March 10th, 1985, the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office received a call from local hunters regarding possible human remains that were found near the Mountain Bell Telephone relay, a little more than one mile north of Upham Exit 32 off I-25. Preliminary investigations determined that Harrison died between 3 to 6 months prior to being located, which placed the time of death between September 10th, 1984 and January 10th, 1985.
Over the course of the next 37 years, Dorothy’s identity remained unknown. Investigators continued to follow leads, however they were all determined to be dead ends.
On March 10th, 2021, the case was assigned to Detective Melissa Agullo, a detective with the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office. Agullo reviewed three decades’ worth of case files while the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children offered DNA resources for unidentified cases.
Investigators were able to extract DNA from approximately 155mg of bone powder, and the results were then submitted to Innovative Forensics Investigations to build a genealogical family tree. The collaborative work led to the positive identification of 16-year-old Harrison.
Dorothy’s case is considered a homicide, and the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office continues to seek information from the public.
Timeline:
- Dorothy leaves her home in Wichita, Kansas on Thursday, July 25, 1984, around 5:00 pm.
- Sometime in the beginning of August 1984, Dorothy calls her family and says she is in Los Angeles, California (1984 Summer Olympic Games (XXIII) taking place in L.A. beginning July 6 – August 12, 1984).
- Weeks later, approximately late August – early September 1984 Dorothy calls home again saying she is in El Paso, Texas and is on her way back to Wichita, Kansas. No one hears from Dorothy after this last phone call.
- Dorothy was likely killed between September 10, 1984 to January 10, 1985.
- Dorothy’s remains are located in Dona Ana County, New Mexico, approximately 50 miles north of El Paso, Texas on March 10, 1985
Dorothy was approximately 5’1″ and weighed 95 pounds. She had light brown hair, green eyes and a medium complexion. Her nostrils aren’t even and were considered lopsided. She had a small scar on the bow of her mouth. She often wore heavy eye makeup.
When she was last seen she was getting into a vehicle that was described as a “big, tan, long car.” Dorothy was picked up by two unknown women, described as a white female and a black female, both older.
If you have information about Dorothy Harrison or believe you encountered her between July 25, 1984 and the time of her homicide, contact the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office at (575) 525-1911.
