'Jane Doe,' whose remains were found last year in Economy, buried in Beaver
BEAVER -- Exactly one year to the day after a woman’s embalmed head was found in a fairly-remote area of Economy, she was properly laid to rest.
A small group of investigators who have been working the case gathered at the Beaver Cemetery and Mausoleum Saturday morning to hold a funeral service for the woman they can only call Jane Doe.
The woman’s head was found in a wooded area off of Mason Road. At this point investigators have little to go on. Despite exhaustive efforts to identify her, no one has been able to come forward and tell police who is she. Solving the mystery of her identity is the first laborious step in figuring out what happened to her and how she ended up where she did.
Investigators agree it is unlikely the woman was from the Beaver County area given how much attention the case has received and how widely distributed a sketch and sculpture of her likeness has been.
Shortly after her remains were found, Beaver County District Attorney Anthony Berosh said they would give her a proper burial once investigators had gleaned any possible information from her.
They have reached that point.
Beaver County Coroner Teri Tatalovich-Rossi made the funeral arrangements, and Rev. David Byers, pastor of Vanport Presbyterian Church, led the service in the cemetery chapel.
Psalm 139 was the Bible passage Byers chose for the service. The chapter refers to God’s omnipresence and knowledge of all things.
Byers said though we do not understand or know the answers to the mystery surrounding Jane Doe, God does. He asked, “May God grant us understanding.”
Byers acknowledged all of the people who have worked over the past year “trying to make sense out of a great mystery.” He noted the “unsettling circumstances” surrounding her.
“The life of Jane Doe, unknown to us, not without family, but no family or friends here,” Byers said.
Byers said the community is thankful for everything that investigators have done and the hope is that one day her family will know everything they have done.
A press conference is scheduled for Monday morning. Economy Police Chief Michael O’Brien said he plans to give an update and release additional information about the case.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: 'Jane Doe,' whose remains were found last year in Economy, buried in Beaver
