Mom Identifies Jane Doe Corpse as Daughter From Tattoo Photo
Police sketch of Ashley Fuller. Photo courtesy of Metro Nashville Police Department.
On Thanksgiving Day 2020, the body of a young woman was discovered in an abandoned house along Highway 70 South in Nashville, Tennessee. For years, she was nameless, known only as "Highway 70 Jane Doe," her story a chilling mystery that hung in the air, unresolved. Today, her name has finally been restored to Ashley Fuller, and while discovering her identity has brought answers, her death still leaves a haunting void.
A Vibrant Life Silenced
Ashley Fuller was just 19 years old — a teenager from Columbia, Tennessee, remembered for her contagious laughter. Her mother, Mary Wilson, described her as someone who "had a zest for life. She was fun and loved to make people laugh," according to News Channel 5 Nashville. But in August 2020, that vibrancy disappeared. Fuller missed her sister's wedding — a milestone she wouldn't have skipped — and went silent, leaving her family gripped with worry.
Wilson reported her daughter missing to the Maury County Sheriff's Office, but the response was discouraging. Authorities cited Fuller's history of running away and her status as an adult, leaving Wilson and her family without help. Months turned into years, and Fuller's family endured the unimaginable: waiting, hoping, and fearing the worst.
The Sketch That Changed Everything
It wasn't until September 2024 that a breakthrough came. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation released a forensic rendering of Highway 70 Jane Doe's face and a sketch of her tattoo — a semicolon with a red heart replacing the dot.
That image spread across social media and landed in a Facebook group dedicated to missing persons. Wilson saw it and immediately knew.
"That's my daughter. It looked too much like her," she said according to News Channel 5 Nashville. "When I saw the sketch, it was like I was looking at myself." Dental records later confirmed the truth: Ashley Fuller was indeed Highway 70 Jane Doe.
Unanswered Questions Linger
Police believe Fuller died from an accidental drug overdose, but Wilson has her doubts. "The way she was found just really leads me to believe there were other suspicious activities going on in relation to her death," she told News Channel 5 Nashville. Despite sharing evidence with investigators, the official ruling remains unchanged — for now. The Medical Examiner's Office plans to conduct a final review to determine Fuller's exact cause of death.
A Mother's Mission for Justice
Fuller's story doesn't end with her identification. Her mother has turned grief into action, creating a Facebook page to raise awareness about her daughter's case and shine a light on the many unnamed victims whose stories go untold. For Wilson, this fight is deeply personal, but it's also a call for justice for all families waiting for answers.
Fuller's remains currently lie in a Nashville grave marked "Jane Doe." Her family is raising funds to have her exhumed, cremated, and brought home to Columbia — a final act of love for a daughter lost too soon.
A Name That Won't Be Forgotten
Ashley Fuller's journey from anonymity to recognition is a poignant reminder of how vital it is to remember and fight for the missing. Her family's determination, coupled with modern forensic tools, gave her back her name. Now, they fight for the rest of her story.
References: Highway 70 Jane Doe finally gets her name back: Family identifies Ashley Fuller | Woman found dead in Nashville on Thanksgiving Day 2020 identified as Columbia 19-year-old | Police identify woman found dead in abandoned house in 2020 | Metro police trying to identify woman found dead in abandoned house in 2020
