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Written by: A. Smith
Published June 11, 2025 @ 8:26 PM ET
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. – Nearly three decades after a teenager was discovered buried behind an abandoned southwest Atlanta home, investigators have finally identified her as 15-year-old Kiyona Arnold.
The breakthrough came through advanced DNA testing conducted by Othram, a Texas-based forensic lab that specializes in helping law enforcement agencies solve cold cases. Kiyona is the 23rd person identified in Georgia through the lab’s work.
Her remains were found in April 1995 by children playing near a vacant house off Atwood Street. She was buried in a shallow grave and clothed in Bugle Boy jeans, a button-down shirt, and Adidas sneakers. At the time, investigators estimated she was about 5-foot-8 and weighed 140 pounds, but her identity remained a mystery.
Initial efforts to identify her, including public appeals and an entry into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System in 2007 were unsuccessful. The case eventually went cold.
In 2022, the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office partnered with Othram in a renewed effort to solve the case. A woman later came forward as a possible relative, and her DNA helped confirm the girl’s identity.
Kiyona had turned 15 just a month before she was found. Investigators believe she may have used the name “Wanda” in the weeks leading up to her death. While the exact cause of death remains undetermined, police suspect she may have died from an overdose. The home where she was discovered had reportedly been used in the production of illegal drugs.
Despite the identification, many questions remain unanswered. Investigators have not determined how Kiyona died or who was responsible for burying her.
The case is still under investigation. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office at 404-613-4400.