photos: EDDY PEREZ, LSU UNIVERSITY RELATIONS
after all these years.” When it comes to identifying remains, “(The lab) is the only ballgame in town,” says Davidson. “Before that law passed, unidentified bones usually ended up in a box. That bill got the ball rolling.” Identifications like these, as well as resolutions of other high profile cases, have provided indisputable validation of Mary’s “baby,” the Louisiana Repository for Unidentified and Missing Persons Information Program, and incredible publicity for LSU. Recently, Mary and Dr. Michael DeFatta, forensic pathologist at the St. Tammany Parish Coroner’s Office, appeared on a special episode of America’s Most Wanted, hoping to identify a young woman known as Pontchartrain Jane. “She was young and three months pregnant,” recalls Dr. DeFatta. “She had breast implants, too. Those weren’t popular in the ’80s, so we were hoping that would help identify her. Mary exhumed the body in 2003, and the FACES lab did a great job recreating the young woman’s features.” Despite national exposure, however, Pontchartrain Jane remains unidentified. This wasn’t the first time Mary had worked with DeFatta. For three years, forensic DNA analysts in the St. Tammany Coroner’s Office helped her with the backlog of DNA cases that resulted from the Dardenne/Martiny law. Recently retired after 30 years of tireless
work and dedication, Mary Manhein reflects on her accomplishments. First, her living legends— thousands of students she’s taught as undergrads and scores of graduate students she’s counseled in the master’s program. This dynamic teacher has instilled in them her passion for forensic anthropology, a passion she hopes will lead many to follow in her footsteps. Next is the role Mary played as part of the national Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team that recovered the remains of the brave
Under Mary’s leadership, the lab linked with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is gaining national recognition as one of ten Model Age Progression Sites in the nation.
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