Jennifer Goodwin White, a longtime Alaska resident and Soldotna High School alum, was declared deceased after human remains found in a Kasilof driveway in 1996 were identified as hers by dental records and X-rays. Trooper Jim Stogsdill said those methods were believed to be conclusive at the time, and authorities treated the matter as a homicide.

In 2011 a Facebook profile surfaced claiming to be Jennifer, saying she was alive and suffering from amnesia. That profile reconnected with old acquaintances and contacted her childhood best friend, Sonja Williams, who at first believed it might be Jennifer. Law enforcement, however, continued to treat the case as a homicide, and the online account was later attributed to Sarah Musgrove-Short, whose motives—whether coping with grief or trying to lure a perpetrator—were unclear.

The appearance of the profile reopened questions for the community and family while the homicide investigation remained unresolved.