Jane Doe found in Ridley Creek State Park in January 2016 ID'd
MEDIA, Pa. (CBS) -- A woman who was found by a hiker in the woods of Ridley Creek State Park in January 2016 has been identified, Pennsylvania State Police said Wednesday. It's the first case state police's new forensic genealogy unit has ID'd.
Investigators are not releasing the woman's name, citing the family's request for privacy.
According to state police, they've previously had to hire third-party contractors for DNA testing. Then, in 2022, several troopers went to Connecticut to get certified in forensic genealogy to create their own in-house unit.
In a news conference Wednesday, state police said they extracted DNA from the woman's bones and entered it into a database. The database led them to the woman's sister and other family members who still live in the Philadelphia area.
Investigators said the woman's family had lost track of her over the years but never reported her missing.
While she has been identified, the cause of her death remains unknown.
State police are asking anyone with information about what happened to the woman to contact them at 717-783-5556.