🐦 3-D printing to the rescue

Also: the top 8 restaurants in Loudoun County

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Just Outside DC
November 22, 2024

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Welcome to Just Outside DC — the only local newsletter that can get a reservation at Dorsia 🪓 

Today’s factoid of the day is: The sound of the famous roaring lion over the MGM logo is actually a tiger’s roar.

THE BIG IDEA

“Cutting-edge” doesn’t even begin to describe it.

For five decades, her identity remained a mystery — a nameless victim, her story untold.

But now, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office is turning to cutting-edge technology in a bid to crack one of their oldest unsolved cases: the 1973 homicide of a Jane Doe found on the side of a rural road.

Gone are the days of sketches and artist renderings. In a bold move, forensic artist Joe Mullins has sculpted a 3-D bust, bringing the victim's features to life in chilling detail. Mullins' work, offers a glimpse into the past, a fusion of art and science, that could hold the key to unlocking a decades-old mystery.

3D Printing Helps Revive Cold Case Homicide Investigation In Loudoun County

A forensic artist helped create a facial reconstruction of an unidentified Jane Doe homicide victim from 1973.

The sheriff's office isn't just chasing leads; they're chasing a legacy, a chance to write a new chapter in the annals of justice. And who knows, this artful intervention just might be the key to unlocking the secrets of the past and ushering in a future where no victim goes unremembered.

Sure, the backlash from traditionalists is inevitable. This isn't your grandpa's investigation, after all. But who's to say a little "artsy" flair can't crack a case that's eluded conventional tactics for decades?

Because at the end of the day, results are what matter. And if Mullins' haunting sculpture can breathe new life into a cold trail of clues, well, that's something worth embracing — even if it ruffles a few feathers along the way.

So, as the buzz around this case builds, one thing is clear: the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office is playing for keeps. They're not just chasing a killer; they're chasing redemption, a chance to right a decades-old wrong and deliver the justice this Jane Doe deserves.

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Reader Restaurant Recommendation

One of our readers, George, recommends you guys check out Lost Dog Cafe. They’ve got a bunch of locations all around NoVA (and you’ve probably met at least one person in your life wearing one of their shirts for some reason).

Home — Lost Dog Cafe

Lost Dog Café began in a tiny storefront space in Arlington’s Westover neighborhood in 1985 as a small unassuming wine, beer, and cheese shop. Owners Ross Underwood and Pam McAlwee started small, dreamed big and worked countless long hours until things slowly fell into place as the Lost Dog Café, a Northern Virginia destination well known for its great food and extensive beer selection.

QUICK HITS

  • The U.S. Tennis Association is opening up a new world-class facility in Loudoun County VA 🎾 

  • Speaking of LoCo… Northern Virginia Magazine made this list of the top 8 restaurants in the area 🍽️ 

  • Speaking of restaurants… L’Auberge Chez Francois in Great Falls made OpenTable’s top 100 restaurants in the U.S. list 🥐 

  • Glenn Youngkin is assembling a task force to address teen mental health and social media addiction 🤳 

LIVE EVENT LOWDOWN

  • DowntownDC Holiday Market | a month straight of holiday festivities in the Penn Quarter-Chinatown neighborhood 🎄 

  • ZooLights | the Smithsonian National Zoo has been transformed into a winter wonderland (until early January) 🦁 

  • Mt. Vernon Holiday Traditions | 18th century holiday celebrations at the Mount Vernon estate all throughout the next month 🍒 

  • Rt. 123 Comedy | a lineup of local comedians at The Vault in Tysons tomorrow evening (Saturday) 🎙️ 

  • DC Holiday Market | a new holiday market in Dupont Circle… not to be confused with the first market on this list 🎅 

  • Holiday Tree Lighting | Alexandria’s kickoff of the holiday season is back for the 275th year in a row on historic King Street! 🥳 

  • Alexandria Cider Fest | celebrate the last two days of Virginia Cider Week tomorrow (minimum age: 21) 🍺 

  • Holiday Art Gallery | a pop-up gallery at the Sherwood Center in Fairfax VA tomorrow 🎨 

  • Finn | a coming-of-age story about Finn, a young shark who wants to follow in his family’s footsteps (finsteps?) of joining the Shark Guard. Playing at The Kennedy Center for the next month 🦈 

  • URBNmarket | a holiday market kicking off tomorrow in the Mosaic District with eighty handmade/vintage vendors from around the DMV! 🛍️ 

This is how I feel about some of these toll prices nowadays.

By the way, if you’ve got any cool/funny/interesting pics or vids from around the NoVA area, feel free to send them our way via email or Instagram. We’ll show ‘em in the next newsletter!

TY!

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