In February 2003, workers found the skeleton of a teenage girl in the basement of a building in Manhattan. She was wrapped in a carpet and buried in concrete.
The person was tied up with an electrical cord. A gold ring with the letters “PMcG” was found with her. It was engraved with some letters. There was also a bra, a dime from 1969, and a green toy soldier found with her. Ryan Glas from the New York City Police Department spoke to the media.
For over 20 years, the unidentified person was called “Midtown Jane Doe” because she was found in the Hell’s Kitchen area of New York City. This week, investigators found out who she was: Patricia Kathleen McGlone, a 16-year-old who lived in Brooklyn.
Investigators think that Patricia was murdered in late 1969 or early 1970 and her body was buried in the basement of the building. Using advanced investigation methods, they found out who her parents were and where they lived in Brooklyn. They also searched through public records in the area. The police found a lot of information, like her baptism card and school records. This gave them an idea of what her life was like in the last few years.
Many tests proved that her DNA matched with the DNA of several people, including the mother of a woman who died in the 9/11 attacks in New York City.
In 2003, construction workers were using hammers to work on a concrete slab at the back of the building. Suddenly, a skull rolled out, Glas said. They found more bones close by.
Many years ago, when Patricia was thought to have been killed, there was a nightclub called The Scene in the building, according to Glas. The rock-and-roll place, owned by a young person named Steve Paul, was a popular spot for famous people in the 1960s. It had music sessions with The Doors and Jimi Hendrix.
In 2003, the New York City Medical Examinerâs Office found out that the skeleton was of a teenage girl who was 5-foot-2. But the police couldn’t find her because nobody told them she was missing, Glas said.
Investigators began looking at the case again in 2017. The bones had been underground for a long time and were in bad condition, so it took some time to make a DNA profile. But last year, Glas said things got better because of advancements in modern forensic technology.
“Glas said they tried hard, but there was a delay in making a profile. ” “In March 2023, we had a good sample to put on websites like ancestry and genealogy for everyone to see. ” “And using that information, we found a far-off family member on her dad’s side. ”
Glas said that investigators knew they were on the right path because they had the relative’s name and the initials on the ring. Investigators began to determine which generation she belonged to and her place in the family.
They worked with genetic experts to find her mother’s family using their DNA. They were able to narrow it down and find a match using DNA that had been submitted.
A family member who died in September 11 attack assaults, Glas said.
Based on the information, they found out she was the only child and was born on April 20, 1953, to Bernard McGlone and Patricia Gilligan.
Her parents are no longer alive. Investigators found papers that show she was getting money from her father who died in 1963. Her parents’ papers showed that she lived in Brooklyn and went to a Catholic school.
“We thought she had been baptized, taken communion, and hopefully received confirmation. ” “I got all three documents,” Glas said.
Investigators were able to see her grades and other information from when she was in middle school. This gave them more information about her life back then. She went to middle school.
In late 1968 and early 1969, she didn’t go to most of her classes.
“Glas said that because of her age, religion, and early marriage, they thought the toy soldier might have something to do with her maybe being pregnant. ”
When she died, people thought she had run away, and they think she might have given her child to someone else to take care of.
Finding the child has been hard because when they were adopted, the birth certificate listed the adoptive parents’ names, not the birth parents’ names.
Her husband was related to the building where she was found, Glas said. But he didn’t give any more information because the investigation is still going on. The police know who her husband is and are trying to find out more about his life back then, according to Glas.
Glas wants Patricia’s family to come forward and share any information that might help find out what happened to her or how she passed away.
Glas said they want to talk to anyone who lived in the building at that time and can give them more information about her or the person she married. They want to follow up on any information they can get.
“I have three daughters, so I can only guess what kind of childhood she had before she was killed. ”
With Patricia’s true identity now known, Glas said the police have a clear next step: finding the person who killed her.
