Nuria C. Rodriguez, of Bronx, New York, was positively identified on April 14 through forensic genetic genealogy after spending 34 years known only as “Christman Jane Doe,” according to the Berks County Coroner’s Office. <\/p>\n
The case began on June 3, 1992, when a farmer discovered a human skull in freshly turned soil along Christman Road in Windsor Township. A search of the area uncovered a shallow grave containing partial skeletal remains, authorities said. <\/p>\n
Investigators determined the remains belonged to a woman believed to be between 25 and 40 years old and approximately 5-foot-3. They estimated she had been buried for at least a year before her remains were found. Due to the condition of the remains, an exact cause and manner of death could not be determined, according to the coroner’s office. <\/p>\n
Despite extensive efforts that included DNA analysis, media outreach, a forensic facial sketch, and entry into national databases, investigators were unable to identify the woman for decades. She became known as “Christman Jane Doe.” <\/p>\n
In 2024, the Berks County Coroner’s Office partnered with Parabon NanoLabs to begin a forensic investigative genetic genealogy examination using advanced DNA technology. Over the next two years, investigators developed leads that ultimately connected them to a family in New York that had been searching for their missing loved one since the early 1990s. <\/p>\n
Officials said Rodriguez was just 25 years old when she disappeared from the Bronx. Her family knew something was wrong when she failed to attend her child’s birthday \u2014 a day they said she never would have missed. For more than three decades, they continued searching for answers while holding onto hope they would learn what happened to her. <\/p>\n
“Every unidentified individual is more than a case file; they are a person with a name, a history, and loved ones who continue to search for answers,” the coroner’s office said. “With the identification of Nuria, she is no longer an unknown victim. She is a daughter, a sister, and a mother whose absence left unanswered questions for those who cared about her most.” <\/p>\n
While Rodriguez’s identity has now been restored, the investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death remains active, according to the coroner’s office. Anyone with information about Rodriguez or the circumstances of her disappearance is asked to contact Pennsylvania State Police Troop L in Hamburg at 610-562-6885.<\/p>\n