Remains of a teenager who disappeared in Pennsylvania more than 50 years ago are found

() – The remains of a York, Pennsylvania, teenager who disappeared in 1973 have been identified through genealogical research and DNA analysis more than 50 years after her disappearance, authorities said.

Two park rangers discovered the decomposed remains under a plastic tarp and brush in a wooded area of ​​Union Township on Oct. 10, 1973, according to Pennsylvania State Police. Investigators at the time were unable to identify them, but described Jane Doe as a white woman with long brown or blonde hair. It was determined that the cause of his death was not determined.

More than half a century later, investigators, using DNA analysis and interviews with living relatives, determined that the remains were those of Ruth Elizabeth Brenneman, a 14-year-old girl from York who had been missing since the beginning of the 1973 school year, according to the Police.

“Their work allowed us to close some questions that have lingered for the past 51 years,” Ruth’s family said in a statement read by police at a news conference Thursday.

The case was forgotten until 2016, when police exhumed the remains from a remote corner of a cemetery in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, to obtain their DNA. That was after years of unsuccessful attempts to identify Ruth, which included the making of two busts of what the girl might have looked like.

The remains were taken to an area hospital, where they were examined. But it wasn’t until years later, as genealogical technology advanced, that investigators identified last month that the remains belonged to Ruth, police said.

Ruth, born November 26, 1958, went to school and never returned home. It is still under investigation whether he made it to school and how far he went to and from school. A couple of months later, his remains were found about 80 kilometers north of his hometown, Keck said. There were no records declaring Ruth dead and it is unclear if she was reported missing, according to State Police.

As part of the genealogical research process, researchers interviewed family members, reviewed old news articles and examined court documents.

“Once you make contact with the family, it’s like you realize who they were looking for the whole time,” Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Ian Keck said at Thursday’s news conference. “It’s like a surprise for the family. “Fifty-one years went by and they always had that unanswered question, and finally, with research, we were able to give them that answer.”

The case marks another example of how the investigative genetic genealogya field that combines DNA evidence and traditional genealogy to find biological connections between people, is helping detectives resolve unsolved cases and identify the remains of unknown people found decades ago.

Mary K. Schlais was found dead near the intersection in Spring Brook, Wisconsin, on February 15, 1974.

“At that time genealogy was probably in its infancy,” Keck said. “But with the advancement of technology our hope was to continue moving forward.”

It is still unclear how the girl died. Pennsylvania State Police are continuing the investigation into Ruth’s death to determine her last known activities, authorities said.

While there was “some level of suspicion” about his death, the coroner’s office has not yet determined whether it was a homicide, Pennsylvania State Police Sergeant Josh Lacey said Thursday. It offers a US$5,000 reward for information about the case, police said Friday.

“There is another part of this investigation, and it is not over yet, so we have to move forward,” Keck said.