The location where Luzerne County Jane Doe (1973) was found

This is the location where the body of Luzerne County Jane Doe was found.

It is situated beside the westbound lane of the I-80 in Black Creek Township, Pennsylvania.

Luzerne County Jane Doe (1973) is an unidentified black female whose remains were dumped in this wooded area in August 1973.

Her case file number on the Doe Network is 814UFPA. She is listed on NamUs under #UP8924.

The body was discovered on the morning of Thursday, August 9th, 1973, when a tourist stopped at this open area near mile marker 250 to take a walk in the woods. The dump site was roughly 100 feet off the berm of the interstate.

The killer doused the woman in sulfuric acid and wrapped her in a yellow and green blanket. They then pulled over to the side of this road before carrying her body close to the woods.

An initial autopsy failed to determine the cause of death, as x-rays did not show any signs of trauma. However, a 2016 press release from Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers categorized the incident type as homicide.

Luzerne County coroner Dr. George Hudock estimated that she had been dead for 48–72 hours.

Sulfuric acid was likely used in an attempt to hinder the woman's identification. This indicates that the killer believed her death could be tied back to them, either because they personally knew each other or because they were last seen in public together.

Although the coroner's original estimate placed the woman's age somewhere between 21 and 30, this was later broadened to 20–30.

Determining the woman's age was difficult due to decomposition and the effects of insect and animal activity.

Luzerne County Jane Doe was petite. She was approximately five feet tall and weighed 100 pounds. She had dark hair that had been pulled into a small, two-inch ponytail.

At the time of her death, she was wearing blue slippers (slip-ons) with a floral pattern on the vamp above the toes, blue-green shorts, and a pink blouse with a white lace trim.

Photos

Photos of the site and other related images.

Body site

At around 10 a.m. on August 9, 1973, a passing tourist stopped their vehicle on this open patch of land beside the I-80 westbound lane in Black Creek Township.

They discovered Luzerne County Jane Doe's body shortly after they got out to stretch their legs.

I-80

The body was found in a wooded area that is just south of where Nescopeck Creek passes under the I-80. It is close to a village called Tank.

Luzerne County Jane Doe (814UFPA) (UP8924)

Luzerne County Jane Doe was wearing purple-blue slippers (slip-ons). The shoes had a green, blue, yellow, and pink floral pattern on the vamp.

She had a partial upper dental plate—a sign that she had lost teeth in the past.

The image on the right is a reconstruction clay mold of the victim's face. It is unclear how accurate this reconstruction is, as these molds typically involve a combination of art and science.

The investigation into her death went cold after three months. She was buried at Maple Hill Cemetery in Hanover Township. In September 2016, she was exhumed for DNA analysis and isotope testing.

The results of these tests have not been made public.