2 victims of 1971 train wreck in downstate Illinois identified through DNA

A 55-year-old mystery surrounding a deadly train crash in southern Illinois has finally been solved.

On June 10, 1971, an Amtrak train derailed near Tonti, about 250 miles southwest of Chicago.

Officials originally believed 11 people were killed, including one unidentified victim.

Last year, the DNA Doe Project – a volunteer nonprofit that uses genetic genealogy to identify John and Jane Does – began testing the unidentified remains to find out who they belonged to.

It turned out the remains belonged to two people – 34-year-old Katherine Adams, of Chicago, and her 3-year-old daughter, Gladys.

Adams' surviving family members have now been contacted.