PA PERRY COUNTY JANE DOE: WF, 15-38, found near Newport, PA - 20 June 1979 *DORIS GIRTZ*

Perry County Jane Doe is also known as the "Girl with the Turquoise Jewelry". Her skeletal remains were found on Rt. 322 Eastbound, along the side of the Juniata River, near Newport. Police hoped her clothing and unique turquoise jewelry would help them to quickly identify her, but she has remained nameless. Recent testing has indicated that she may have visited the Southwest in the months prior to her death which seems to match her turquoise jewelry. It is believed she grew up in the Great Lakes region or possibly southern Canada. A cause of death could not be determined.

*CLICK THE REPORT BUTTON IF YOU'D LIKE THIS CASE MOVED TO THE GENERAL DISCUSSION AREA TO BE OPENED FOR COMMENTING.

 

[Akoya]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

Case Information
Status Unidentified
Case number A-29-79
Date found June 20, 1979 00:00
Date created May 05, 2009 16:13
Date last modified February 29, 2016 14:43
Investigating agency
date QA reviewed

Local Contact (ME/C or Other)
Agency Perry Cnty Coroners Ofc
Phone 717-957-3451
Case Manager
Name Donald Chewning
Phone 717.567.3110

Exclusions
The following people have been ruled out as being this decedent:
First Name Last Name Year of Birth State LKA
Tammy Akers 1962 Virginia
Katherine Anderson 1954 Maryland
Maria Anjiras 1961 Connecticut
Nancy Baird 1952 Utah
Lynn Bandringa 1945 California
Dona Bayerl 1940 Wisconsin
Marilee Bruszer 1944 California
Sandra Butler 1962 Nevada
Ilonka Cann 1948 Pennsylvania
Benita Chamberlin 1953 Oregon
Diane Chorba 1949 Michigan
Diane Chorba 1949 Michigan
Lynn Connes 1955 California
Andrea Coyle 1948 Pennsylvania
Brenda Crowley 1963 New York
REBECCA DUNN 1958 Nevada
Loy Evitts 1947 Kansas
Nellie Flickinger 1949 Pennsylvania
Francis Gregory 1958
Jamie Grissim 1955 Washington
Corinne Groenenberg 1957 California
Evelyn Hartley 1937 Wisconsin
Margaret Hayes 1954 Indiana
Sandra Hopler 1955 Pennsylvania
Cheryl Ann Iacovone 1960 Pennsylvania
Nancy Jason 1958 Maryland
Paulette Jaster 1954 Michigan
Rebecca Kellison 1954 Colorado
Tracy King 1960 Pennsylvania
Sandra Landrum 1957 Georgia
Mary Little 2008 Georgia
Paula Lynch 1956 Ohio
Judy Martins 1955 Ohio
Mary Mclaughlin 1938 Michigan
Barbara Monaco 1960 Virginia
Audrey Nerenberg 1958 New York
Dana Null 1963 Florida
Kristina Perkins 1953 Arizona
Linda Peterson/Gustke 1949 Utah
Denise Porch 1954 North Carolina
Angela Ramsey 1961 Florida
Marcia Remick 2008 Virginia
Teresa Rhodes 1962 Pennsylvania
Simone Ridinger 1960 Massachusetts
Simone Ridinger 1960 Massachusetts
Betty Roberts 1930 Maryland
Elaine Robertson 1955 Washington
Janis Sanders 1950 Michigan
Doris SCANDALIS 1930 California
Diane Schulte 1954 Idaho
Suzanne Schultz 1961 Wisconsin
Beverly Sharpman 1930 Pennsylvania
Martha Shelton 1944 Kentucky
Mary Shinn 1953 Arkansas
Belinda VanLith 1957 Minnesota
Wilma Vermaas 1952 California
Christina White 1967 Washington
Kathy Wilcox 1956 Michigan
Joanne Williams 1956 Pennsylvania
Cynthia Woolard 1957 Florida
April Zane 1960 Illinois

 

[Akoya]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

NamUs UP # 5166

ME/C Case Number: A-29-79
Perry County, Pennsylvania
15 to 38 year old White Female

Case Report - NamUs UP # 5166
Case Information
Status Unidentified
Case number A-29-79
Date found June 20, 1979 00:00
Date created May 05, 2009 16:13
Date last modified February 29, 2016 14:43
Investigating agency
date QA reviewed

Local Contact (ME/C or Other)
Agency Perry Cnty Coroners Ofc
Phone 717-957-3451
Case Manager
Name Donald Chewning
Phone 717.567.3110

Demographics
Estimated age Adult - Pre 40
Minimum age 15 years
Maximum age 38 years
Race White
Ethnicity Other
Sex Female
Weight (pounds) 125, Estimated
Height (inches) 66, Estimated
Body Parts Inventory (Check all that apply)
All parts recovered
Body conditions
Not recognizable - Near complete or complete skeleton

Probable year of death 1978 to 1979
Estimated postmortem interval Months

Circumstances
Location Found
GPS coordinates LAT: 40 28:27.25 LONG:-77 02:08.85
Address 1
Address 2
City Duncannon
State Pennsylvania
Zip code 17074
County Perry
Circumstances
The victim was located on Route 322 Eastbound, over an embankment near the Juniata River, approximately 16 miles west of Harrisburg, PA. Cause of death could not be determined. This case is listed as a suspicious death.

Physical
Hair color Blond/Strawberry
Head hair
Light brown to blonde, medium-length, straight hair.
Body hair
None
Facial hair
None
Left eye color Unknown or Missing
Right eye color Unknown or Missing
Eye description
Unknown

Skeletal findings
Healing fracture to the left 9th rib at midshaft.

Fingerprints
Status: Fingerprint information is currently not available

Clothing and Accessories
No clothing or accessories
Clothing and accessories are described below
Clothing on body
Blue, wool twill knit pants, red thread. White lace blouse. Dark blue, ribbed tank-top. Tan “Mushroom black" label jacket/shirt with zipper on right upper pocket, button down front. White or tan bra, “A†cup. Red and gray, Argyle type socks. White cotton panties.
Clothing with body

Footwear
White leather buckle-type shoes, inside leather stamped with “G48175 1973â€, Size estimated at 8 ¼ inches.
Jewelry
Silver, Avon Brand, buckle chain bracelet (right wrist). Sterling silver, Indian type, oblong ring with Turquoise and Onyx stone. Sterling silver, Indian type, Turquoise, oblong Ring, with matching tear-drop earrings and oblong necklace pendant. Sterling silver ring, with black Onyx stone. Jewelry may be Navajo and Zuni, originating from New Mexico-Arizona region.
Eyewear
None

Dental
Status: Dental information / charting is available and entered

DNA
Status: Sample submitted - Tests complete

 

[Akoya]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

Mushroom Brand

Socks

 

[Akoya]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perry_County_Jane_Doe

Perry County Jane Doe

Perry County Jane Doe, also nicknamed as "Girl with the Turquoise Jewelry"[1] is an unidentified woman whose body was found on June 20, 1979, in Watts Township, Perry County, Pennsylvania, near the Juniata River. The cause of her death is not known, but it was considered to be suspicious by the authorities.[2][3][4] Her name is still not known, despite efforts to identify her.[5][6][7] She is the only unidentified decedent in the county.[1]

The badly decomposed remains were found by a "stone mason" alongside a river, near a highway in Perry County, Pennsylvania, near Watts Township.[1] The remains were mostly skeletonized and the estimated time of death was months before, perhaps as early as Autumn of 1978.[4][7]

The decedent is believed to have been between 15 and 30 years old, although she may have been as old as 38.[4] She was white, had straight, shoulder-length blond or light brown hair and was between 5 feet 2 inches and 5 feet 9 inches tall.[3][7]

She had received dental care during her life, as a back tooth had been removed four or five years prior to her death. She also had teeth fillings. One tooth, which was a molar, had not yet erupted.[7] Her teeth showed no evidence of crowding. Despite that her teeth appeared to have had some dental work, it is not known if she had ever had braces.[2]

Prior to her death, she had suffered a fractured rib, which had healed.[6] Just prior to her death, she may have returned to Pennsylvania after having spent several months in the southwestern United States.[8] Recent analysis of the decedent's bones indicated that she had spent a long time living in the Midwest or in Canada, near the Great Lakes, when she was an adolescent.[6]

Perry County Jane Doe wore several pieces of jewelry. She was wearing twosterling silver rings with turquoise stones, one of which also contained onyxpieces that are believed to have originated in the Southwest, possibly having been made by Navajo or Zuni Indians inhabiting that area.[9] She also had a chain bracelet on her right arm and a turquoise necklace and earrings.[2][6] The jewelry led authorities to believe the victim had ties to Arizona, New Mexico or a similar region.[1]

She wore a tan jacket, white boots with silver buckles, green and white socks, and blue slacks.[10] The slacks were described as made from knitted wool which contained strands of red thread.[2] She was wearing two tops, which consisted of a white shirt and a blue tank top.[2][4]

The victim had been buried shortly after her discovery, but was exhumed in 2008, following the reopening of her case.[1] Her DNA and dental records were recorded and are on file. Because of the condition of her remains, no fingerprints and no cause of death could be confirmed.[4] An initial examination of her teeth indicated that she had had three teeth extracted, but this was later disproved.[2][4][7] Despite that these characteristics have been entered into national databases, there have been no matches with missing persons.[1]

The decedent's remains were exhumed in 2008 for additional examination and DNA extraction. About sixty possible identities for her have been ruled out.[3] Her face was reconstructed twice by professionals. A sketch by Barbara Martin-Bailey was drawn in 2009, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children created a three-dimensional rendering by digitally adding layers of muscles and skin to a CT scan of her skull, which was released in 2013

Perry County Jane Doe

Two reconstructions of Perry County Jane Doe
Born 1941 - 1963 (aged 15 - 38) (approximate)
Status Unidentified for 37 years, 3 months and 16 days
Died 1978 - 1979
Cause of death Undetermined, considered suspicious
Body discovered June 20, 1979
Watts Township, Perry County, Pennsylvania, United States
Height 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m)(minimum)
5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) (maximum)
Weight 105 lb (48 kg) (minimum)
125 lb (57 kg)(maximum)

 

[Akoya]

 

[Akoya]

 

[Akoya]

https://www.crimewatchpa.com/316/ca...male-watts-township-perry-county-pennsylvania

SUSPICIOUS DEATH/UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE - WATTS TOWNSHIP, PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

Case Status:
Cold
Case Region:
Central
Source:
Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers
Case # 1726, Jane Doe/Suspicious Death/Unidentified Female - Watts Township, Perry County, Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania State Police, Troop H, Newport continues their investigation of a suspicious death of an unidentified female that was discovered June 20, 1979. The date of her death occurred between the Fall of 1978 and Spring 1979. The unidentified female was found on Route 322 East Bound, Watts Township, Perry County, Pennsylvania.

-UPDATE-

Midstate Mysteries: Smithsonian testing reveals new leads in ’79 cold case

By Ali Lanyon Published: April 29, 2015

In the summer of 1979, a young woman’s skeletal remains were found along the side of the Juniata River near Newport. Police hoped her clothing and unique turquoise jewelry would help them to quickly identify her, but 36 years later they are no closer to answers. They still don’t know who she was, where she came from, or who left her on the side of the riverbank. But now, thanks to Dr. Christine France of the Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute in Suitland, Maryland, there are new leads in this long-time cold case. Dr. France tested a bone, tooth and hair samples from the girl with the turquoise jewelry. She was looking at hydrogen and oxygen isotopes, because those isotopes are unique to different geographical regions. “You are what you eat,” Dr. France said. “So anything you eat or drink is going to have a distinct chemical signature and that gets incorporated into your bones and your hair and your teeth and your skin and every part of your body basically.”

Different parts of the body can tell scientists different things about the person. For example, the teeth tells them where the person spent their adolescence. The hair tells them where they were most recently. And the bone gives them a snapshot of about the past 15 years. In this case, Dr. France determined, based on her hair, the girl may have visited the Southwest in the months prior to her death. That matches a theory investigators had already formed, based on her Indian-style jewelry. “That was very rewarding to see maybe my data may actually confirm what they know and give them impetus to look in that area a little more strongly,” Dr. France said. And what’s more; based on her teeth, Dr. France believes the girl grew up in the Great Lakes region or possibly in southern Canada. Based on that information, new fliers were sent to Canadian authorities. “We’ve had a tough time identifying her so there was always the thought in the back of my mind that maybe she was a foreigner,” said Trooper Donald Chewning, who is leading the suspicious death investigation for the Pa. State Police. “We’ve had a couple calls, however the two missing women from that time period from Canada, I’ve already eliminated them, either by dental or DNA.” But Chewning said at this point he is grateful for any leads. He’s also grateful to Dr. France for doing the tests at no cost to the Pa. State Police. “We just need one piece of the puzzle to find out who she is,” Chewning said. “And we may never find out how she came to that area, but at least we’ll know who she is.”

Dr. France said it’s rewarding, to take technology often used in archaeology and paleontology, and apply it to modern forensics. “I am a parent and when I think about missing children, that hits home,” Dr. France said. “I definitely think about who these people might have been and I would like to help them get home if I can.” But for now, the girl with the turquoise jewelry remains in the Perry County morgue; unidentified, unclaimed, but not uncared for.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Perry County Crimestoppers at 1-866-210-8477 or Trooper Donald Chewning at 717-567-3110.

•Estimated age: 15-30 years old

•Approximate Height and Weight: 5’2"-5’9" (5’6"); 105-125 lbs.

•Distinguishing Characteristics: Light brown to blonde, medium-length, straight hair. Victim was a petite white female. Fractured left 9th rib which was partially healed at mid-shaft.

•Clothing: Blue wool twill knit pants with red thread. White lace blouse. Dark blue ribbed tank-top. Tan “Mushroom black" label jacket/shirt with zipper on right upper pocket and button down front. White or tan bra, red and gray argyle type socks. White leather buckle-type shoes, inside leather stamped with “G48175 1973”, size estimated at 8 ¼ inches.

•Jewelry: Silver, Avon Brand, buckle chain bracelet (right wrist). Sterling silver, Indian type, oblong ring with Turquoise and Onyx stone. Sterling silver, Indian type, Turquoise, oblong ring, with matching teardrop earrings and oblong necklace pendant. Sterling silver ring, with black Onyx stone.

The skull and dentition showed good dental hygiene. No evidence of periodontal disease was noted and the posterior teeth were well aligned and not crowded. There was no direct evidence of orthodontic treatment, however it could not be ruled out. There was no evidence of maxillary or mandibular trauma or anatomical anomalies noted. The extraction of the maxillary right first molar, at some time in the teenage years of the decedent was noted. That determination was based on the partial mesial drifting of the maxillary right second molar into the area occupied by the extracted first molar. The extraction occurred approximately 3-4 years prior to death. The maxillary right third molar was impacted in the bone of the tuberosity and not visible externally. The 1979 dental examination thought that the maxillary right first and second molars had been extracted and that the remaining tooth was the third molar. This error undoubtedly occurred from the lack of a radiographic examination which would have revealed the impacted tooth.

Anyone with information regarding the identification of this female contact Perry County Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-866-210-8477.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: If you have information on this crime, any serious crime, or wanted person, call Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers Toll Free at 1-800-4PA-TIPS. All callers remain anonymous and could be eligible for a CASH REWARD.

http://www.abc27.com/story/22040531/midstate-mysteries-the-girl-with-the-turquoise-jewelry

 

[Akoya]

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/576320083537886654/

Jane Doe 1979 Date Found Jun 20, 1979 Location Found Watts Township, PA Estimated Age 15-30

On June 20, 1979, the victim's unidentified remains were discovered on an embankment between the eastbound lanes of Route 22/322 and the Juaniata River in Watts Township, Perry County, Pennsylvania. For additional information regarding this victim, refer to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) unidentified person database, case report number UP#5166.
NamUs UP # 5166, Found June 20, 1979, on Route 322 Eastbound over an embankment near the Juniata River, approximately 16 miles west of Harrisburg, Duncannon, Pennsylvania 17074, NCMEC # 1192091 (http://www.missingkids.com/poster/NCMC/1192091/1)
Missing From: WATTS TOWNSHIP, PA. Missing Date: 06/20/1979. An unidentified female was found on June 20, 1979 down an embankment between the Eastbound lanes of Route 22/322 and the Juniata River in Watts Township, Pennsylvania. She had been deceased for several months up to one year. She is 15-30 years old and stood around 5’06” tall. She had blonde to light brown medium length, possibly curly hair. A healed rib fracture was found suggesting the female endured an injury earlier in life.

 

[Akoya]

https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/vicap/unidentified-persons/jane-doe-23

Age 15 to 30 years old
Hair Blonde
Eyes Unknown
Height 5'2" to 5'9"
Weight Approximately 170 pounds
Sex Female
Race White
Scars and Marks The unknown female had a healed fracture on her ninth rib.
Remarks:
The unidentified female was wearing a tan shirt, blue tank top, blue slacks with red stripes, red and green socks, and white shoes with silver buckles.

Details:
On June 20, 1979, the victim's unidentified remains were discovered on an embankment between the eastbound lanes of Route 22/322 and the Juaniata River in Watts Township, Perry County, Pennsylvania. For additional information regarding this victim, refer to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) unidentified person database, case report number UP#5166.

Submit a Tip:
If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate.

 

[Akoya]

http://doenetwork.org/cases/11ufpa.html

The Doe Network:
Case File 11UFPA

Sketch of Victim by Martin Bailey

Unidentified White Female
The victim was discovered on June 20, 1979 in Watts Township, Perry County, Pennsylvania
Estimated Date of Death: Fall 1978-Spring 1979

Vital Statistics
Estimated age: 15-30 years old
Approximate Height and Weight: 5’2"-5’9" (5’6"); 105-125 lbs.
Distinguishing Characteristics: Light brown to blonde, medium-length, straight hair. Victim was a petite white female. Fractured left 9th rib which was partially healed at midshaft.
Clothing: Blue, wool twill knit pants, red thread. White lace blouse. Dark blue, ribbed tank-top. Tan “Mushroom black" label jacket/shirt with zipper on right upper pocket, button down front. White or tan bra, “A” cup. Red and gray, Argyle type socks. White leather buckle-type shoes, inside leather stamped with “G48175 1973”, Size estimated at 8 ¼ inches.
Jewelry: Silver, Avon Brand, buckle chain bracelet (right wrist). Sterling silver, Indian type, oblong ring with Turquoise and Onyx stone. Sterling silver, Indian type, Turquoise, oblong Ring, with matching teardrop earrings and oblong necklace pendant. Sterling silver ring, with black Onyx stone.
Fingerprints: Not Available
Dentals: Dental Chart available.
The skull and dentition showed good dental hygiene. No evidence pf periodontal disease was noted and the posterior teeth were well aligned and not crowded. There was no direct evidence of orthodontic treatment, however it could not be ruled out. There was not evidence of maxillary or mandibular trauma or anatomical anomalies noted. The extraction of the maxillary right first molar, at some time in the teenage years of the decedent was noted. That determination was based on the partial mesial drifting of the maxillary right second molar into the area occupied by the extracted first molar. The extraction occurred approximately 3-4 years prior to death. The maxillary right third molar was impacted in the bone of the tuberosity and not visible externally. The 1979 dental examination thought that the maxillary right first and second molars had been extracted and that the remaining tooth was the third molar. This error undoubtedly occurred from the lack of a radiographic examination which would have revealed the impacted tooth.
DNA: Available in CODIS; on file at the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification.

Case History
The victim was located on Route 322 Eastbound, over an embankment near the Juniata River, approximately 16 miles west of Harrisburg, PA.
Jewelry may be Navajo and Zuni, originating from New Mexico - Arizona region

Investigators
If you have any information about this case please contact:
Pennsylvania State Police
Trooper Donald L. Chewning
717-567-3110
Email
You may remain anonymous when submitting information.

Agency Case Number:
H05-149355

NCIC Number:
U853394087
Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information regarding this case.

Source Information:
Pennsylvania State Police
NamUs MP #5166 ABC 27

 

[Akoya]

www.fbi.gov

 

[Akoya]

www.fbi.gov

 

[Akoya]

Perry County Jane Doe by Randall Sands

 

[Akoya]

http://unidentified.wikia.com/wiki/Perry_County_Jane_Doe


Perry County Jane Doe

Perry County Jane Doe was a female found deceased in Perry County, Pennsylvania in 1979.

Sex Female
Race White/Native
Location Watts Township, Pennsylvania
Found June 20, 1979
Unidentified for 37 years
Postmortem interval Months - years
Body condition Skeletal
Age approximation 15-38
Height approximation 5'2 - 5'8
Weight approximation 105 - 125 pounds
Cause of death Suspected homicide

 

[Akoya]

en.wikipedia.org

Watts Township, Pennsylvania. Along U.S. Routes 22-322

 

[Akoya]

http://alchetron.com/Perry-County-Jane-Doe-956315-W

Perry County Jane Doe

Description
The decedent is believed to have been between 15 and 30 years old, although she may have been as old as 38. She was white, had straight, shoulder-length blond or light brown hair and was between 5 feet 2 inches and 5 feet 9 inches tall.

She had received dental care during her life, as a back tooth had been removed 4 or 5 years prior to her death. She also had teeth fillings. One tooth, which was a molar, had not yet erupted. Her teeth showed no evidence of crowding. It is not known if she had ever had braces.

Prior to her death, she had suffered a fractured rib, which had healed. Just prior to her death, she may have returned to Pennsylvania after having spent several months in the southwestern United States. Recent analysis of the decedent's bones indicated that she had spent a long time living in the Midwest or in Canada, near the Great Lakes, when she was an adolescent.

Belongings
Perry County Jane Doe wore several pieces of jewelry. She was wearing two sterling silver rings with turquoise stones, one of which also contained onyx pieces that are believed to have originated in the Southwest, possibly having been made by Navajo or Zuni Indians inhabiting that area. She also had a chain bracelet on her right arm and a turquoise necklace and earrings.

She wore a tan jacket, white boots with silver buckles, green and white socks, and blue slacks. The slacks were described as made from knitted wool which contained strands of red thread. She was wearing two tops, which consisted of a white shirt and a blue tank top.

Investigation
Her DNA and dental records were recorded and are on file. Because of the condition of her remains, no fingerprints and no cause of death could be confirmed. An initial examination of her teeth indicated that she had had three teeth extracted, but this was later disproved.

The decedent's remains were exhumed in 2008 for additional examination and DNA extraction. About sixty possible identities for her have been ruled out. Her face was reconstructed twice by professionals. A sketch by Barbara Martin-Bailey was drawn in 2009, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children created a composite image by digitally adding layers of muscles and skin to a CT scan of her skull, which was released around 2013.

 

[Akoya]

View: https://www.facebook.com/PACrimeStoppers/posts/379614478816461


Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers
May 31, 2013 ·
Case # 1726, Jane Doe/Suspicious Death/Unidentified Female - Watts Township, Perry County, Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania State Police, Troop H, Newport continues their investigation of a suspicious death of an unidentified female that was discovered June 20, 1979. The date of her death occurred between the Fall of 1978 and Spring 1979. The unidentified female was found on Route 322 East Bound, Watts Township, Perry County, Pennsylvania.
•Estimated age: 15-30 years old
•Approximate Height and Weight: 5’2"-5’9" (5’6"); 105-125 lbs.

https://www.crimewatchpa.com/crimestoppers/node/4942

CRIMEWATCHPA.COM

 

[Akoya]

Juniata River

 

[Akoya]

VIDEO at link: http://abc27.com/2015/04/29/midstat...an-testing-reveals-new-leads-in-79-cold-case/

Midstate Mysteries: Smithsonian testing reveals new leads in ’79 cold case

In the summer of 1979, a young woman’s skeletal remains were found along the side of the Juniata River near Newport.
Police hoped her clothing and unique turquoise jewelry would help them to quickly identify her, but 36 years later they are no closer to answers. They still don’t know who she was, where she came from, or who left her on the side of the riverbank.

But now, thanks to Dr. Christine France of the Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute in Suitland, Maryland, there are new leads in this long-time cold case.
Dr. France tested a bone, tooth and hair samples from the girl with the turquoise jewelry. She was looking at hydrogen and oxygen isotopes, because those isotopes are unique to different geographical regions.

“You are what you eat,” Dr. France said. “So anything you eat or drink is going to have a distinct chemical signature and that gets incorporated into your bones and your hair and your teeth and your skin and every part of your body basically.” Different parts of the body can tell scientists different things about the person. For example, the teeth tells them where the person spent their adolescence. The hair tells them where they were most recently. And the bone gives them a snapshot of about the past 15 years.

In this case, Dr. France determined, based on her hair, the girl may have visited the Southwest in the months prior to her death. That matches a theory investigators had already formed, based on her Indian-style jewelry. “That was very rewarding to see maybe my data may actually confirm what they know and give them impetus to look in that area a little more strongly,” Dr. France said.

And what’s more; based on her teeth, Dr. France believes the girl grew up in the Great Lakes region or possibly in southern Canada. Based on that information, new fliers were sent to Canadian authorities.

“We’ve had a tough time identifying her so there was always the thought in the back of my mind that maybe she was a foreigner,” said Trooper Donald Chewning, who is leading the suspicious death investigation for the Pa. State Police. “We’ve had a couple calls, however the two missing women from that time period from Canada, I’ve already eliminated them, either by dental or DNA.”


But Chewning said at this point he is grateful for any leads. He’s also grateful to Dr. France for doing the tests at no cost to the Pa. State Police.

“We just need one piece of the puzzle to find out who she is,” Chewning said. “And we may never find out how she came to that area, but at least we’ll know who she is.” Dr. France said it’s rewarding, to take technology often used in archaeology and paleontology, and apply it to modern forensics.

“I am a parent and when I think about missing children, that hits home,” Dr. France said. “I definitely think about who these people might have been and I would like to help them get home if I can.” But for now, the girl with the turquoise jewelry remains in the Perry County morgue; unidentified, unclaimed, but not uncared for.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Perry County Crimestoppers at 1-866-210-8477 or Trooper Donald Chewning at 717-567-3110.