Murder of Cynthia Gastelle

Cynthia Joan Gastelle (September 4, 1961- circa April 3, 1980) was a formerly unidentified American murder victim who disappeared on April 3, 1980.[1] Her body was found two years later, but remained unidentified for 30 years before matching of mitochondrial DNA entered into the national DNA database provided her identity.[2][3]

Cynthia Gastelle
Portrait of Gastelle
Born
Cynthia Joan Gastelle

September 4, 1961
Washington, DC
DisappearedApril 3, 1980
Takoma Park, Maryland
StatusRemains identified after 32 years
Diedc. April 3, 1980 (aged 18)
Prince William County, Virginia
Cause of deathHomicide by stabbing
Body discoveredFebruary 11, 1982
Known forUnidentified victim of homicide

Circumstances

Cynthia Gastelle was last seen heading to a job interview at a deli in Takoma Park, Maryland. She had left home around 10:30 and had boarded a Ride On bus to Silver Spring according to her brother Peter Gastelle.[4] She had run away twice before so her family waited a few days before reporting her missing.[5]

Gastelle's skeletal remains were found on February 11, 1982[6] upon Bull Run Mountain in Haymarket, Virginia; they were located in a secluded wooded area, nearly a mile off of U.S. Route 15.[4] Apparently, the skeleton had clothing on it which could have been recognized by Gastelle's family. However, the Prince William County Police Department was unaware that Gastelle was missing and so, they never contacted the Takoma Park Police Department.[7] The remains eventually became a Jane Doe.

Identification

Over the years, Gastelle's father would be called to examine remains and visit morgues according to her brother Greg Gastelle.[8] Gastelle would eventually be added to NamUs and the Doe Network, however neither her dental X-rays or DNA was included on both sites which made comparisons between her and unidentified decedents challenging.[9] In 2001, DNA evidence from the Jane Doe was entered into the national DNA database. In 2011, DNA samples from Gastelle's family was collected from an unrelated case elsewhere.[10] That same year, a user on Websleuths noted that Gastelle was not on NamUs's exclusion list for the Jane Doe. The Takoma Park police was contacted in February of 2011 to make a comparison between her and Jane Doe which was initiated that July.[11] It was revealed in June 13, 2012 that a match had been made.[4]

See also

References
  1. "UPDATE: 1980s Missing Person Case Becomes Homicide Investigation". Bristow Beat. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
  2. "Cynthia Gastelle's Remains Identified: 32 Years Later, Cops Link Remains To Missing Woman". Huffington Post. June 13, 2012. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
  3. "Remains of Missing Teen IDed After 32 Years". NBC4 Washington. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
  4. "Remains of Cynthia Gastelle of Takoma Park identified 32 years after her disappearance". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  5. "Police keep looking for answers to unidentified remains". The Washington Times. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  6. "Cynthia Gastelle's Remains Identified: 32 Years Later, Cops Link Remains To Missing Woman". Huffington Post. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  7. "Family Hopes For Public's Help In 1980 Missing Person Case". Takoma Park News. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
  8. "Remains of missing Maryland teen identified after 32 years". NBC News. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
  9. "Match! - VA - Haymarket, WhtFem 468UFVA, 13-21, Feb'82 *Cynthia Gastelle*". Websleuths. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
  10. "Family Hopes For Public's Help In 1980 Missing Person Case". Takoma Park News. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
  11. "Match! - VA - Haymarket, WhtFem 468UFVA, 13-21, Feb'82 *Cynthia Gastelle*". Websleuths. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.