Shivangi Sinha
In 2006, Dana Nicole Lowrey began a new job selling magazines in Ohio, marking a fresh start after separating from her partner, who was also the father of her two children. When she stopped contacting them for an extended period, her loved ones assumed she had chosen to move on with her life. Unfortunately, the truth was far more tragic. In 2018, human remains discovered near Marion, Ohio, were identified as Dana’s. ABC’s episode of ’20/20′ titled ‘Meet the Other Me’ delves into the meticulous police work that led to uncovering the truth about Dana’s fate and bringing her killer to justice.
Dana Lowrey Suddenly Stopped Calling Her Children Whom She Spoke to Everyday
Dana Nicole Lowrey was born in 1983 in Minden, Louisiana. Little is known about her early years, except that she tragically lost her parents at a young age. Longing for a family of her own, she found joy when she met David Cobb. Together, they welcomed two daughters, one in 1999 and another in 2005, and for a while, it seemed like Dana had found the stability she had always dreamed of. However, the relationship eventually deteriorated, leading to a falling out with David. Dana left home quietly, sharing a few details about her departure.
According to David, the next time Dana contacted him, she was in Ohio, working as a door-to-door magazine salesperson. She called to check in on her daughters daily and gave the impression that she was adjusting well to her new life. However, the calls suddenly stopped in May 2006. Assuming that Dana had decided to move on and sever ties, David thought little of it at the time. Unbeknownst to him, Dana had not been in contact with anyone. Reportedly, one of her aunts filed a missing person report, but the case did not lead to any significant developments.
On March 10, 2007, police discovered human remains in Salt Rock Township, Marion County, Ohio. The remains had been burned, and with no personal items or identifying materials nearby, determining the victim’s identity proved challenging. DNA was collected from the scene and entered into a national database, initiating a global search to uncover the person’s identity. For years, Dana’s family was left without answers. It wasn’t until 2018, with the assistance of multiple agencies and advancements in forensic technology, that the remains were conclusively identified as Dana’s. Her family finally received her remains and laid her to rest in Minden, Louisiana.
The Arrest of a Serial Killer Helped Dana’s Case Immensely
The first significant breakthrough in Dana Lowrey’s case came in September 2016 when Shawn Grate was arrested. Authorities discovered the bodies of two women, Elizabeth Griffith and Stacey Stanley, in his house in Ashland, Ohio. These gruesome findings were uncovered after a woman called 911 from Grate’s home, reporting that he had kidnapped and assaulted her for days. While in custody, Grate confessed to additional murders, including one in Marion, Ohio. This location was the last place Dana had been reported seen, but directly linking him to her murder remained a challenging task.
During his confession, Grate struggled to recall the victim’s name, vaguely stating it was something like Dana, Diane, or Dina. He explained that she had been selling magazines to his mother and, after failing to deliver them, he decided to attack her. Grate lured her into his car and brought her back to his house. There, he choked her until she lost consciousness, then dragged her to the basement, where he killed her by stabbing her in the neck. He described wrapping her body in sheets and disposing of it by the roadside. Grate then returned home with the sheets and burned them. He later revisited the scene where he had left the body and set it on fire as well.
Advanced DNA Tracking Aided in the Identification of Dana Lowrey’s Killer
Following Shawn Grate’s confession, authorities pursued leads in Canada, Israel, Mexico, the United States, and even Estonia in hopes of identifying the victim. In October 2016, a sketch was created by a Delaware County sheriff’s office sketch artist based on an interview with Grate. Additionally, a 3D facial reconstruction sculpture was produced by a forensics artist from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. These images were shared with the public in January 2017 to aid in identification efforts. In 2018, investigators revisited Dana Lowrey’s DNA and utilized oxygen isotope analysis. This advanced technique revealed that the victim was likely born in the southern United States, narrowing down the search and providing a critical piece of the puzzle.
The police worked alongside a non-profit organization, the DNA Doe Project, to advance the investigation. Dana’s DNA was uploaded to a database, where it was compared to other samples, ultimately leading to a match. Despite this breakthrough, when the police conducted a follow-up interview with Grate, he was unable to identify Dana from a photograph. At the time, Grate had already been convicted and sentenced to death, along with a life sentence without the possibility of parole for his other crimes. However, the closure of Dana Lowrey’s case brought much-needed peace and healing to her family, offering them a sense of resolution after years of uncertainty.
Read More: Christina Hildreth: What Happened to Shawn Grate’s Ex-Girlfriend?
