WATTS TOWNSHIP, Penn. (WOIO) – A Ravenna woman finally has her name back decades after her skeletal remains were discovered along a Pennsylvania roadway.
Pennsylvania State Police say the remains belong to Dorris Joanne Girtz, who went missing at about 23 years old and grew up in Portage County.
Troopers announced the development in the cold case Friday, June 20, which is exactly 46 years since the remains were found.
At this time, investigators are still working to learn how Girtz died, according to Pennsylvania State Police.
Pennsylvania State Police say the remains belong to Dorris Joanne Girtz, who went missing at about 23 years old and grew up in Portage County.(Source: Pennsylvania State Police)
On June 20, 1979, human skeletal remains were discovered along the eastbound lanes of Route 322 in Watts Township, Penn.
Troopers describe the remains as severely decomposed and mostly skeletonized.
For decades, police carried out various methods to identify the Jane Doe.
But it was thanks to advancements in DNA analysis and genetic genealogy that in 2023, a study was conducted by Othram Labs.
Investigators say the DNA analysis of two molars extracted by a local dentist helped to link investigators with a distant family member.
Their investigation sent them to Ravenna, where they gathered additional DNA from family.
Now that Girtz is identified, Pennsylvania State Police will turn their focus to solving how she died.
Anyone who knew Girtz during the years of 1977 to 1979, or anyone with tips about the case is asked to contact the Pennsylvania State Police Newport Station at 717-567-3110 or tip line at 1-800-472-8477.
You can also submit a tip online.
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