Ebony Brown remembers the day she mother, Myrtle Brown is missing. It was 1990, she was 13 years old.
In May Myrtle Brown was in New York visiting her best friend when her purse was stolen along with her epilepsy medications and identification. She told her family she felt unwell and went to the emergency room at the Kings County Hospital. in Brooklyn to replenish the supply of drugs.
“She ended up go alone,” said Ebony Brown. – And then last moment, you know we ever heard from her.
Within a few weeks Grandma Ebony and family members visited local police stations and hospitals, but found no answers.
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“I never thought she was dead,” Ebony said. “I thought maybe she just wanted something else maybe out of life. I don’t know to be honest I was just confused and sad.”
Almost 32 years later, in April, Myrtle brother Robert Brown was watching NBC Nightly News. with Lester Holt” when he broadcast the profile of case investigation team in the New York office of Chief Medical Examiner. Led by Dr. Angela Soler, assistant director of forensic anthropology, team deals with almost 1,250 unidentified persons cases, most of tracking them back decades, many until the 1990s.
In the report, Brown noticed a picture on missing person poster of facial reconstruction, instrument used team paint public attention to cases, recreating facial features via clay model.
“I saw young a lady who may or may not have been my sister,” he said. “And I said to myself, ‘Wow, I wonder if that could be her.’
Two days later, Brown and his wife called the medical examiner. office and Soler and her team started to work on The Myrtle Brown case.
“I took I looked at the reconstruction and noticed, OK, I probably look for “a middle-aged black woman,” Soler said. – Everything matched. with what the family spoke to us and we were also reported that she was missing in May of 1990. So I knew exactly where start my quest.”
For almost two months, Soler revised over two weeks of records of “unverified unknowns” or missing people with a potential name that has not been verified or validated. She began her search on May 1, 1990, until found what she thought was supposed match Myrtle Brown, on May 17, 1990 Unknown. in the rest was not Myrtle.
“In this case, the contextual information including the date she passed away,” Soler said. — She passed away in Brooklyn that fit family telling me that she used to get medical attention in Brooklyn.
“She had a supposed name that matched a supposed date of birth that coincided, and family gave some medical information about their missing loved one one what also matched what was in case materials.”
Then Robert Brown got call from Solera what he was waiting for for for three decades.
“Robert, I think we found your sister,” said Brown, remembering Soler’s words. – I asked: “What?” She said, “I think that we found your sister.'”
ebony was also on in call as Soler shared information she is found in a business. She asked if she could send them a photo of deceased person to confirm it was Myrtle.
“She sent a photo to both of us and this took to me second understand that it is her,” said Robert.
Ebony said the picture took her back 30 years.
“As soon as I saw the photo … just you know it, you knew it was her,” she said.
Myrtle, who was 35 years old, never registered or admitted to Kings County Hospital, but family found out that she was waiting in the emergency room when she had a seizure and died. The only one information Myrtle gave the hospital her name and date. of birth.
The Browns were able to keep virtual memorial for Myrtle, Robert and Ebony said family calmed down at last after learning what had happened to their beloved sister and mother.
Soler said she hoped the Browns experience will encourage other families with I miss my loved ones step forward.
“Even though it’s not over up being human, rest was based on it helped us resolve case, Soler said. made difference. And that’s the whole point… to get people stop and think for moment and follow through and give us telephone call”.
