'Jane Doe' exhumed; police seek identity
Meanwhile, a sculptor is trying to reconstruct the face of the woman who was found dead in 1995.

Bucks County Courier Times (Levittown, PA) - May 6, 2004
By Laurie Mason - Courier Times

The body of an unidentified woman whose nude, decomposed remains were found behind a Bensalem diner in 1995 was exhumed this week. Now, detectives will try to give her a face and a name.

District Attorney Diane Gibbons said Wednesday that a sculptor from the " Doe Network ," an organization dedicated to closing so-called "cold" or unsolved homicides, gathered evidence from the woman's body Wednesday and will try to reconstruct her face.

Detectives will also try to get DNA from the remains, something that wasn't possible in 1995.

"DNA technology has significantly changed," Gibbons said. "We're hoping that her DNA will give us her name, and then we can try to find out what happened to her."

Children playing in the woods behind the Clubhouse Diner on Sept. 18, 1995, found the woman wrapped in plastic. She was nude, but several articles of clothing, as well as a beaded massage cushion were found nearby.

Forensic experts believe she had been there about two years. Her death is being treated as a homicide, Gibbons said.

The woman was buried in the Trinity Cemetery in Telford, in a special vault that could be opened if needed. Bensalem Detective Chris McMullin has been chasing down leads ever since, Gibbons said.

County Judge Kenneth Biehn signed a court order this week giving the go-ahead for the exhumation.

Once the woman's face is reconstructed, a photo will be released to the public.

Gibbons said the case is difficult because the woman does not fit the description of any reported missing person. It's possible that she's not from Bucks County, but was killed in some other location and dumped here.

"Right now we have no place to start," Gibbons said. "Someone somewhere knows who this woman is. Once we get her face out there, someone can tell us who she is."

Police believe the victim was a white woman, between 35 and 45 years old. She was between 4 feet, 8 inches and 5 feet, 2 inches tall. A chain and silver crucifix were found near her remains, as well as several pieces of clothing, including a pink T-shirt with the words "KMPG Peat Maverick'' and a white T-shirt with the words "Property of Alcatraz Penitentiary Swim Team."

Laurie Mason can be reached at 215-949-4185 or lmason@phillyBurbs.com.