On September 25, 1988, an unidentified female was found 30 feet off the side of CR 474 in Clermont. The victim had been deceased for 2 – 4 weeks in a rural, heavily wooded area. The victim, called “Julie Doe” was initially thought to be female until 2015 when DNA testing revealed “Julie” was biologically male. “Julie” was wearing a skirt, had breast implants and there is evidence she may have been taking female hormone injections. It is unknown if “Julie” had undergone any other gender reassignment surgery.

With the support of Dr. Barbara Wolf, the District 5 & 24 Medical Examiner, “Julie’s” case was evaluated by the DNA Doe Project. The DNA Doe Project is a non-profit organization that utilizes investigative genetic genealogy to identify unidentified remains.

In February 2025, after years of difficult work, the genealogists were able to identify possible relatives of "Julie Doe", who were then contacted by the Lake County Sheriff's Office. The relatives voluntarily submitted their DNA for comparison. These comparisons identified "Julie Doe" as Pamela Leigh Walton. Pamela was born a biological male in Kentucky and put up for adoption. Once adopted, his name was changed to Lee Allen Walton. At some point in Lee's adult life, he changed his name to Pamela Leigh Walton and was, at the very least, transitioning from male to female.

After years of difficult work, the genealogists were able to identify possible relatives of "Julie Doe", who were then contacted by the Lake County Sheriff's Office. After additional information was obtained, the relatives submitted their DNA for comparison. These comparisons identified "Julie Doe" as Pamela Leigh Walton. Pamela was born a biological male in Kentucky and put up for adoption. Once adopted, his name was Lee Allen Walton. At some point in Lee's adult life, he changed his name to Pamela Leigh Walton and was, at the very least, transitioning from male to female.

It's unknown how Pamela came to be in Florida. Pamela's manner of death is undetermined, and the Lake County Sheriff's Office is continuing efforts to gather information regarding the circumstances of the death.

LCSO case number: 88-09-4583
NamUs case number: 6030
WFTV News Article