In early 2003, construction workers were demolishing the basement of a building in Manhattan, New York, when they came across a skeleton – one that belonged to a teenage girl – rolled up in carpet.
The victim was discovered alongside a ring with the engraving ‘PMcG’, a 1969 dime, a bra, and a plastic toy soldier.
For over two decades, she was known as ‘Midtown Jane Doe’ as she was found in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood.
Earlier this week, however, officials were finally able to reveal her identity: 16-year-old Patricia Kathleen McGlone, who resided in Brooklyn.
According to investigators, Patricia was likely murdered in late 1969 or early 1970, after which she was buried in a concrete tomb in the basement of the building.
Using advanced forensic technology, experts were able to determine the identity of her parents, and where they lived in Brooklyn. They also searched local public documents and were able to find detailed information from her life, including her school records and baptism card.
Experts also conducted several forensic tests, which linked her DNA to several individuals, including a woman who was killed in the 9/11 attacks in New York.
She Was Buried Under a Nightclub
In 2003, construction workers were hammering a slab of concrete at the back of the building, when they discovered a skull. Other skeletal remains were discovered shortly afterward.
Back in the 1960s, the building housed a popular nightclub called The Scene, which served as a celebrity hotspot.
The Medical Examiner’s Office had determined that the remains belonged to a teenage girl who was approximately 5’2 tall. However, they were not able to identify the victim as she was not reported missing. The case subsequently went cold.
Over a decade later, investigators began to review the case again. Since the bones had been buried for so long, it took a long time for experts to produce a suitable genetic profile. With advances in forensic technology, however, things eventually began to look up.
In March 2023, the team was finally able to put together a DNA sample, which they uploaded to public databases in attempts to locate her relatives.
And they were successful. They were able to find a match on her father’s side. With the distance relative’s name, and the initials that were engraved on the ring, experts were able to locate her position in the family tree.
They also looked at her mother’s side of the family and were able to narrow it down using a DNA sample from a woman that was killed in the 9/11 attacks.
With that, they eventually discovered that she was born on April 20, 1953, and that she was an only child to Patricia Gilligan and Bernard McGlone.
While her parents are deceased, investigators were able to locate documents showing that she had been receiving benefits from her father at the time of her death, who had passed away in 1963. Documentation also revealed that she was raised in Brooklyn, New York, and that she was a student at a local Catholic school.
According to Detective Glas, who works for the New York Police Department, she was likely a young mother at the time of her death and was considered a runway. They believe she may have given her child up for adoption, though they are unable to track the child as birth parents were not listed on birth certificates at the time.
Glas also said her husband was connected to the Manhattan building where her remains were located, however, he declined to provide further details as it remains an ongoing investigation.
Glas is hoping that the victim’s relatives will eventually come forward and offer information on the case that may help officials determine how she died.
