Buckskin Girl: The Marcia King Case
Content Advisory
This episode discusses murder and violence. While details are handled with care and without graphic description, some listeners may find the subject matter disturbing. Listener discretion is advised.
If you have information about Marcia King’s murder, contact the Miami County Sheriff’s Office at (937) 440-6085.
SOURCES & REFERENCES
This episode was researched using law enforcement records, DNA Doe Project documentation, and published news reporting. All quotes have been verified against original sources.
PRIMARY SOURCES
LAW ENFORCEMENT
• Miami County Sheriff’s Office records and press releases
• Chief Deputy Steve Lord statements
• Miami County Coroner’s Office
• NamUs (National Missing and Unidentified Persons System) records
FORENSIC SCIENCE
• DNA Doe Project – genetic genealogy analysis
• Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick, Co-founder
• Dr. Margaret Press, Co-founder
• Miami Valley Regional Crime Laboratory
• Full Genomes Corporation
• GEDmatch database
FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY
• Dr. Elizabeth Murray, Mount St. Joseph University
• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children – facial reconstructions
NEWS SOURCES
NATIONAL COVERAGE
CBS News
• “Buckskin Girl case: Groundbreaking DNA tech leads to ID of 1981 murder victim” (April 12, 2018)
ABC News
• “Body of ‘Buckskin Girl’ found in Ohio in 1981 identified as Arkansas woman” (April 2018)
Inside Edition
• “Cold Case Murder Victim Identified After 37 Years” (April 2018)
LOCAL COVERAGE
Dayton Daily News
• “Jane Doe no more: Miami County sheriff IDs cold case victim 37 years later” (April 2018)
• “How they did it: Groundbreaking technology reveals ID in 37-year-old cold case” (April 2018)
• “Gravesite for ‘Buckskin Girl’ gets new headstone with her name” (2018)
Piqua Daily Call
• “Buckskin Girl identified — DNA, technology provides identity of county’s Jane Doe” (April 2018)
WRGT / WDTN
• “Victim in 1981 Miami Co cold case identified” (April 2018)
• “Cold case homicide victim identified after 37 years” (April 2018)
REFERENCE SOURCES
• DNA Doe Project official case page: dnadoeproject.org/case/buckskin-girl
• DNA Doe Project press release (May 24, 2018)
• Wikipedia: “Murder of Marcia King”
• Find a Grave: Marcia Lenore Sossoman King Memorial
• Unidentified Wiki: Marcia King
QUOTE ATTRIBUTIONS
DR. ELIZABETH MURRAY (Forensic Anthropologist)
• “This is not your run of the mill ‘DNA solves unidentified person.’ I think you’ll hear today that this is really some revolutionary and groundbreaking work.” – Press conference, April 2018
CHIEF DEPUTY STEVE LORD (Miami County Sheriff’s Office)
• “They were hopeful Marcia was going to come home. However, they are learning at this date that that’s not going to happen.” – Press conference, April 2018
• Stated King’s mother lived in same home for 37 years, never changed phone number
DR. COLLEEN FITZPATRICK (DNA Doe Project Co-founder)
• “Marcia’s mother did leave us with a thought that there’s no such thing as closure. Because Marcia is never coming back… what there is, is release.” – MTSU Lecture, October 2019
GREG BRIDENBAUGH (Witness who found body)
• “I’m glad that this has happened. It’s been something I’ve thought of for 37 years. I’d about given up on it.” – Piqua Daily Call, April 2018
KEY DATES
• June 9, 1959 – Marcia Lenore Sossoman born in Arkansas
• 1980 – Marcia last seen by family in Little Rock, Arkansas
• April 22, 1981 – Estimated date of death
• April 24, 1981 – Body discovered in Troy, Ohio
• 2001 – DNA profile developed by Miami Valley Regional Crime Lab
• 2008 – Case entered into NamUs database
• 2009 – Mitochondrial DNA submitted to CODIS
• April 2016 – New facial reconstruction released by NCMEC
• 2017 – DNA Doe Project founded; case submitted to DDP
• March 29, 2018 – DDP identifies candidate in approximately 4 hours
• April 9, 2018 – Identity confirmed by Miami Valley Regional Crime Lab
• April 10-11, 2018 – Public announcement of identification
VICTIM INFORMATION
Name: Marcia Lenore Sossoman (King)
Born: June 9, 1959
Died: April 22, 1981 (age 21)
From: Little Rock, Arkansas
Found: Troy, Miami County, Ohio
Cause of death: Strangulation and blunt force trauma
Burial: Riverside Cemetery, Troy, Ohio
Note: Marcia’s killer has never been identified. The case remains an active homicide investigation.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
For more information on forensic genetic genealogy:
• DNA Doe Project: dnadoeproject.org
• NamUs: namus.nij.ojp.gov
• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: missingkids.org
CREDITS
Research and fact-checking conducted using publicly available law enforcement records, DNA Doe Project documentation, and published news articles.
Special thanks to the DNA Doe Project, Dr. Elizabeth Murray, and the volunteers who gave Marcia her name back.
© Crime Decoded Podcast
Episode: “Buckskin Girl”
Editorial & Legal Disclaimer
Crime Decoded is a documentary-style podcast focused on forensic science, investigative methods, and publicly documented criminal cases.
All information presented in this episode is drawn from law enforcement records, DNA Doe Project documentation, contemporaneous news reporting, and publicly available sources believed to be reliable at the time of production.
This episode discusses an unidentified victim case where the victim has been identified but the perpetrator remains unknown. No allegations are made against any person.
Crime Decoded is intended for informational and educational purposes only and attempts not to speculate beyond verified facts.