LA VERGNE, Tenn. -
La Vergne detectives hope an electronic billboard flashing a picture of an unidentified murder victim will help generate tips that will help close the nearly five-year-old murder case.
The billboard is located along Murfreesboro Road in La Vergne across from city hall.
"Hopefully someone will see the billboard and recognize her or it will spark a memory of someone they know or a family member they have not seen in a long time," La Vergne police Det. Bob Hayes said.
Hayes has been at the center of the investigation into the Jane Doe case since 2007 when he discovered her body.
He was a field training officer on patrol with a recruit riding along with him.
At the time he was looking for 34-year-old Nikki Sisounong whose body was later found in Montgomery County.
Sisounong's boyfriend, Mario Morgan, later pleaded guilty to second degree murder in the case.
"I saw what appeared to be animal bones and investigated that further and it turned out to be human remains," Det. Hayes recalled. "There are family and friends out there who lost contact with this person."
Forensic experts have made two composite renderings of what the Jane Doe may have looked like one. The University of Tennessee created a sculpted bust in 2008.
In January, detectives also had a three-dimensional computer generated rendering created.
The woman referred was believed to have been between 25 to 45 years old when she died.
Experts say she had been in the field for about six months before her remains were discovered in November of 2007.
The woman had some jewelry with her, including an Avon necklace with cats on it and a ring with amber and emerald colored stones.
"It is extremely difficult since the case has been assigned to me. I work on it on a continuous basis," Det. Hayes said. "It is like an uphill battle with no light at the end of the tunnel yet until we get her identified."
La Vergne investigators have received assistance from the FBI and other national missing people databases.
Detectives have also reached out to America's Most Wanted in the hopes of having the case highlighted on the show.
Anyone with information about the identity of Jane Doe or who may have killed her should contact Det. Hayes at the La Vergne Police Department at 615-793-7744.
The billboard will also be used to make the public aware of city announcements, such as the recent burn ban in La Vergne.
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