The remains of a 14-year-old girl who disappeared near her home in 1969 have been identified by police after 53 years.
Joan Marie Dymond was last seen on 25 June 1969 when she told family members she was going to a local park, but never came back.
Her remains were found in a former coal-mining area around 10 miles away in 2012 but it wasn't until this year that they were identified as the missing girl.
Experts determined that the teenager, initially referred to as ‘Jane ‘Newport’ Doe' due to where the body in Newport Township, Pennsylvania, US, had died in suspicious circumstances.
The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) contacted the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) in 2018 and was sent a list of missing children who could be a possible match for the remains.
Carol Schweitzer, who heads NCMEC’s Forensic Services Unit, said: “Each resource built upon each other, revealing more clues that all led to this young female’s identity.
“This is how NCMEC comes alongside law enforcement in these challenging long-term cases. We will help develop a strategic approach to apply the right resources that will resolve cases.”
The PSP’s Criminal Investigation Unit sent the remains to Othram, a forensic genealogy corporation, in March this year.
The lab results indicated that the remains belonged to the 14-year-old.
PSP spokesperson Capt. Patrick Dougherty said: “This was a very challenging case, and a team of professionals rallied to determine who she was.
“Because of their perseverance and tenacity, we now know who she is. To finally be able to call her by name, Joan, and see a photograph of her for the first time, always makes me pause, think about the life we know she had, and send up a prayer letting her know she was never forgotten.”
“We never stopped pursuing answers.”
The victim’s sister Suzanne Estock said at a press conference on October 4 shared on MissingKids.org : “She was a typical teenager... she was a sweet girl, [she] didn’t deserve what happened to her.
“It didn’t reduce the sadness. I’m glad she was found so we can have a service for her.”
Dougherty said: “After 53 years, the family of Joan Marie Dymond very much deserves closure. We will do everything in our power to see that they have it. We never stopped pursuing answers, and this investigation remains very active.”
Last month, the authorities identified the remains of Patricia Agnes Gildawie, a teenager who went missing in Virginia in 1975.
With the help of DNA technology, the police said they have a stronger chance of solving old murders when they know the victim’s identity.
