NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Family and friends are finally getting answers in a 26-year Nashville cold case concerning a woman named Diane Minor who went missing in the 1990's.
In 1998, police say a woman's body was pulled from the Cumberland River. No one knew who it was. She was only known as the Leo Jane Doe because of a necklace with a Leo Zodiac sign she was wearing.
26 years later, thanks to advanced genetic testing and modern technology, that woman was identified as Diane Minor this week. Police say was shot twice and died at 54 years old.
"I always wondered what happened to her," said her high school friend, Beverly Peeler.
Friends from both high school and later in life say she was the definition of a sweetheart.
"She was very popular," remembered Peeler. "Real bubbly, a great cheerleader."
"She was full of life, full of energy, always happy," added her friend and coworker Mark Degon.
"[Her disappearance] perplexed everybody," he went on. "We were all like, where's Diane, it was so out of character, it was like, where is she?"
Back then, a missing person report was not filed for Minor. At the time, Degon remembers someone insisting she moved to Colorado.
"It makes you feel things. It makes you feel like, should we have called somebody else? But when you're told she moved...you gotta take it at face value at some point," Degon tearfully explained.
While one mystery is solved, and many are glad her family now has answers, another mystery remains.
"I'm sure everybody would love to know who did it and that that person is brought to justice," said Peeler.
Degon agreed, adding he hopes Diane is resting peacefully.
"Just a warm, kind woman...and something like that happening to her is unfathomable to me," he concluded.
Police say the identification of Minor was assisted by the MNPD Crime Lab, Bode Lab, and the DNA Doe Project.
Detectives are still investigating this cold case. If you know anything, you can call Crime Stoppers.
It’s a sad reality that area animal shelters and non-profit rescue organizations face constant overcrowding -- with so many dogs, cats and other animals waiting for a forever home. Jason Lamb reports here that Metro leaders are working with those groups – including Critter Cavalry – to find solutions. I’ve fostered a dog from Critter Cavalry, so I understand the need is great. And I found my pup Domino through another local group, Proverbs Animal Rescue. Ultimately, it starts with all of us. Getting more dogs and cats spayed or neutered can help control the pet population – and ease the burden.
-Rhori Johnston
