LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — A woman found dead in a wooded area off County Road 474 in 1988 has been identified as Pamela Leigh Walton, authorities announced Monday. Walton, a transgender woman, was identified through investigative genetic genealogy conducted by the DNA Doe Project after more than 36 years of uncertainty.
On Sept. 25, 1988, a passerby discovered Walton’s remains about 30 feet from the roadway. At the time, authorities suspected she had been sexually assaulted and murdered.
An initial autopsy determined Walton was female and had given birth, but later DNA testing in 2015 revealed she was biologically male. She had breast implants and evidence suggested she had been undergoing hormone therapy.
In 2019, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office partnered with the DNA Doe Project to use genetic genealogy to uncover Walton’s identity. Volunteers with the Trans Doe Task Force initially worked on the case before shifting focus to their organization.
After years of complex research involving adoption records and distant family ties, experts traced Walton’s lineage to Kentucky, where she was born. She had been adopted as a child and later changed her name before transitioning.
“Pamela’s story includes many common themes that trans people face,” said Pam Lauritzen, the DNA Doe Project’s executive director of media and communications. “From derogatory remarks in high school yearbooks to a pre-carved headstone with her former name, it’s heartbreaking to see how the community failed to accept her.”
Despite challenges, including social media restrictions on outreach efforts, researchers successfully identified Walton earlier this year. Her cause of death remains undetermined, and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office continues investigating the circumstances surrounding her case.
Authorities are asking anyone with information about Walton’s death to come forward.
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