Washington State Patrol Identifies ‘Helen Doe’ 35 Years After Fatal I-5 Crash

Washington State Patrol has identified a woman known for decades as “Helen Doe” as Mary Ellen “Mollie” McCullough, an Ohio native who died in a fiery semitruck crash on Interstate 5 near Kalama on May 14, 1991. McCullough was 34 years old.

The breakthrough came through advanced DNA profiling and forensic genetic genealogy. After reopening the cold case in 2014, investigators spent years pursuing leads before Detective Sgt. Stacy Moate contacted McCullough’s brother, Michael, on August 6. Further DNA testing confirmed their family connection.

McCullough’s relatives had not heard from her since she left Florida in 1991. Her identification has finally given them answers about what happened. The family plans to bring her remains back to Cambridge, Ohio, where she was born.