Over three decades after a Pennsylvania farmer unearthed a human skull in his field, authorities have finally put a name to the remains.
The Berks County Coroner’s Office said the skull was discovered on June 3, 1992, by a farmer working a field off Christman Road in Windsor Township, near Lenhartsville.
Responding authorities found a shallow grave and partial skeletal remains at the scene. Investigators at the time believed the remains had been buried for at least a year. They also concluded the remains belonged to a white woman between 25 and 40 years old, standing approximately 5’3″ tall.
A cause and manner of death could not be determined.
The Pennsylvania State Police and Berks County Coroner’s Office pursued identification efforts ever since, launching a genetic genealogy examination in 2024 after following numerous leads.
In April, investigators traced family members in Bronx County, New York, and identified the woman as Nuria C. Rodriguez.
“No longer known only as Jane Doe, she is once again recognized by her name and remembered by those who loved her,” Berks County Coroner Matthew J. Stitzel said. “She was a daughter, a sister, and, most importantly, a mother. She was only 25 years old when she disappeared from Bronx, New York.”
“For more than three decades, [her family] searched for answers and held onto hope that one day they would learn what happened to her,” he added.
The Berks County Coroner’s Office acknowledged the contributions of the State Police at Hamburg, Parabon NanoLabs, Mercyhurst University, the University of South Florida Institute for Forensic Anthropology and Applied Science, and the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System.
While Rodriguez has now been identified, the investigation into her death remains active, the coroner’s office said. Anyone with information regarding her disappearance should all the State Police at Hamburg at 610-562-6885.
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