2 days ago
Body of unidentified woman killed in 1986 Fayette County crash exhumed
Officials on Monday exhumed the body of an unidentified woman killed in a crash in Fayette County in 1986.
Jane Doe's remains were exhumed from an unnamed grave at Oak Lawn Cemetery to use improved DNA technology in the hopes of identifying her. Pennsylvania State Police troopers found her body after a crash along Route 119 in Springhill Township on May 2, 1986.
"A lot of times when I drive by here, I think about that morning," said Larry Leech.
Leech was the chief for the Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department, which responded to the scene that day.
"We had a tractor-trailer, an 18-wheeler upside down, and the driver was deceased at the scene," Leech said.
At first, Leech says it seems cut and dry. It was not until the trailer was moved that emergency responders found the body of a woman. She was not carrying a purse or wallet, only a few items that included a pack of cigarettes and $300 in cash.
Jane Doe's name and why she was in Fayette County have been a mystery ever since.
"There's been grant funding available to look at old cold cases, unidentified individuals, and try to bring closure to families and identify these folks," Fayette County District Attorney Mike Auble said.
After 10 years of behind-the-scenes work by state police and the coroner's office, her body was exhumed on Monday.
"The folks who have been involved in this case have done a tremendous amount of work, and yesterday was a big day for a lot of people," Auble said.
Her body was transported to the Indiana County Coroner's Office, where her DNA will be collected and uploaded into various databases to see if an identification can be made.
"We're very hopeful that we're going to be able to close this one," Auble said.
As for Leech, who has carried this mystery with him for decades, he is relieved to know Jane Doe's grieving family may soon be reunited with her.
"I won't know who she was, but I hope that maybe they can find out and trace back and get to her family, and someone can have closure here," Leech said.
