Summary
In March 2022, the decomposing remains of an unknown woman were found buried in a shallow grave in Deshong Park in Chester, Pennsylvania. Chester Police were notified by a local artist who was filming a movie in the park that a homeless man had approached him and said, “I know where a body is located.” When officers arrived at the scene, they were directed to a portion of the park near the intersection of East 11th street and Welsh streets. With assistance from the FBI, they were able to locate the remains of an unknown person approximately 50 yards from the road. The body was buried at an approximate depth of three feet. It was noted that the area where the body was found had become a site where a large amount of illegal dumping occurs.
Following the discovery, the unidentified woman’s remains were autopsied, which allowed investigators to determine that the woman was Black, and estimated to be over 60 years old at the time of her death. Investigators also estimated that the woman stood 5’0” in height, weighed 117 pounds, and had black hair during her life. However, due to the advanced decomposition that had occurred, investigators were unable to make determinations about the woman’s eye color or how long prior to the discovery of her remains she had died. Investigators noted that the woman had an Aquarias tattoo on her left upper breast. Investigators also determined that the manner of death to be a homicide, and the cause of death to be blunt force injury to the neck. No items of clothing were recovered with the body, nor were any personal effects.
Since the discovery of the unknown woman’s remains, law enforcement investigators have diligently pursued various leads, but the woman's identity remains a mystery. In April 2022, the case was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as #UP90745.
In 2023, the Delaware County Medical Examiner Office partnered with Othram to determine if advanced forensic DNA testing could help establish an identity for the woman or a close relative. Anyone with information that could aid in this investigation is encouraged to contact the Delaware County Medical Examiner Office by calling 610-891-5950 and referencing agency case ME2022-0521 or NamUs ID #UP90745.
A DNASolves crowdfund has been created to raise funds for the remaining casework costs. Anyone can contribute here.
Michael Vogen
Director of Case Management
Michael works with law enforcement agencies throughout the United States and Canada on “unsolvable“ cases that can benefit from advanced DNA testing methods. He helps these agencies use cutting edge DNA sequencing and new forensic techniques to develop investigative leads for their cases.