Officials in West Haven say DNA and genealogy testing have allowed them to make major strides in an investigation that has been open for more than 40 years.
The West Haven Police Department said the skeletal remains of a woman, listed only as Jane Doe, were found in April of 1979 on what was then the New Haven Water Company property, located off of Derby Avenue.
Now, 44 years later, police say that they've been able to identify Jane Doe.
WHPD announced today that the remains have been identified as Sarah Tatham Abbott, also known as “Sally” by her family. She was born August 3, 1940, in Manhattan, New York.
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Police say Connecticut's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner worked with a forensic genetic genealogy corporation that specializes in helping to solve cold cases. The funds for the project were raised by people who donated to the effort.
West Haven police say that Sarah Abbott was 29 when she disappeared in 1970. No cause of death has yet been determined based on their investigation of her remains.
Now that the identity of the deceased is determined, officials ask that anyone with information regarding Sarah Abbott to contact the West Haven Police Department as their investigation continues.
