She left two envelopes, a small decorated Christmas tree, and no name. It took 25 years and a DNA lab in Texas to finally give her one.
An unidentified woman was found dead in a Virginia cemetery on December 18, 1996, beside a small Christmas tree — a case that came to be known as "the Christmas Tree Lady." In 2022, forensic genetic genealogy finally identified her as Joyce Marilyn Meyer Sommers.
A Discovery in "Babyland"
A groundskeeper at Pleasant Valley Memorial Park in Annandale, Virginia, found the woman's body in the cemetery's infant burial section, laid on a plastic sheet beside an 8-inch Christmas tree decorated with gold ornaments and red ribbon. She appeared to have died recently. Detectives determined she had suffocated after securing a plastic bag around her head, with Valium and alcohol in her system; the death was ruled a suicide with no evidence of foul play.
A Note, and No Name
She carried two sealed envelopes. One held $100, split evenly between the coroner and the cemetery. The other held a note: "Deceased by own hand... prefer no autopsy. Please order cremation, with funds provided. Thank you. Jane Doe." She carried no identification of any kind. Her belongings included bifocal glasses, a small knapsack with a change of clothes, and cassette tapes of comedy recordings.
Decades of Dead Ends
Investigators compared her description against missing persons cases across the region for years without success. In 2000, they released a composite sketch hoping someone would recognize her; no leads followed. One of the original detectives told the Washington Post in 2000 that the case was especially frustrating precisely because she wasn't a set of skeletal remains from long ago — she was someone who, by all rights, somebody should have recognized.
Identification Through DNA
With traditional leads exhausted, Fairfax County Police partnered in January 2022 with Othram, a Texas-based forensic genetic genealogy lab, funding the DNA analysis through crowdfunding and an anonymous donation. By May 2022, investigators had connected the resulting genealogical profile to living relatives, and DNA testing confirmed her identity: Joyce Marilyn Meyer Sommers, 69 at the time of her death, originally from Davenport, Iowa, and the oldest of five siblings.
A Family That Had Been Searching
Sommers's relatives told investigators they hadn't formally reported her missing but had spent years searching for her on their own, even hiring a private detective. She apparently moved to the Virginia area sometime in the 1980s and had no children or known family nearby at the time of her death.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was the Christmas Tree Lady ever identified?
Yes. In 2022, forensic genetic genealogy identified her as Joyce Marilyn Meyer Sommers, 26 years after her death.
Was her death considered suspicious?
No. Investigators determined it was a suicide, with no evidence of foul play.
How was she finally identified after so long?
Through advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy performed by Othram, funded by crowdfunding and an anonymous donor, which connected her genetic profile to living relatives.
Sources
Virginia's "Christmas Tree Lady" Identified as Joyce Meyer — Oxygen After 25 Years, "Christmas Tree Lady" Is Identified — DNASolvesThis article discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988 in the U.S.) is available 24/7.