A formerly produced likeness of the victim (left) and a photo of Patricia. Credit: EHPD.
Identifinders International and the East Haven Police Department (EHPD) have identified a 1975 Jane Doe homicide victim as Patricia Meleady Newsom, a young woman who ran away from her upstate NY boarding school in 1972.
On Aug. 6, 1975, the body of a deceased female, found bound, gagged and wrapped in a tarp was discovered in a drainage ditch near New Haven, Conn. Although many possible leads developed over the years, she was never identified.
In 2020, discussions began regarding the possibility of exhuming what EHPD now know to be Newsom’s remains at the State Street Cemetery in Hamden, Conn. However, many challenges stood in the way of locating her unmarked grave. For example, the cemetery is no longer in operation and the association that managed it no longer exists.
On May 3, 2022, with the help of public records, death certificates, and a hand drawn map, EHPD were able to pinpoint what they thought was the proper burial location for Jane Doe. On June 8, 2022, after pooling resources, EHPD exhumed the body of Jane Doe. However, investigators were disappointed to find the body in the casket was a male.
On June 14, 2022, investigators returned to the cemetery with an employee from the United States Department of Agriculture, who utilized ground penetrating radar to scan the area. Investigators discovered far more caskets than originally anticipated. As a result of that visit, EHPD was able to pinpoint a better location for Jane Doe.
On July 1, 2022, EHPD returned for a second exhumation. This time, Newsome’s remains were located and exhumed with the help of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Several samples of DNA were collected and turned over to Colleen Fitzpatrick’s Identifinders International.
Last week, Identifinders International identified Jane Doe as Patricia Meleady Newsom.
"We are grateful to the EHPD for their long-term collaboration and the trust they placed in us for Patricia's identification,” said Fitzpatrick. “The case required 2½ years to solve due to the poor condition of the DNA. This case is an excellent example of the benefit of using forensic genetic genealogy on cold cases.”
Once Patricia’s identity was confirmed, contact was immediately made with her sister, Maryann Newsom Collette. Maryann is credited with uploading her DNA to GEDmatch, which allowed investigators to make headway in the case and an eventual positive identification. Once contact was made with Maryann, previously unknown details leading up to Patricia’s death were learned.
Patricia was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho on June 20, 1957, and relocated to the East Coast with family in the late 1960s. In 1972, she attended a boarding school in the Monticello, New York area but ran away from the school with a friend, enroute to the state of Maine. She was never heard from or seen again. It’s unclear whether Patricia made it to Maine or not. At this time, EHPD is asking for the public’s assistance to help locate the friend Patricia allegedly ran off with. EHPD also wants to identify the boarding school she attended in Sullivan County, New York in 1972.
“There are thousands of Jane and John Doe cases around the country, and even more around the world, and with that comes family members searching for answers and justice for the ones they love,” said EHPD Captain Joseph Murgo. “This case is a perfect example of what can be achieved if you never lose hope and keep pushing. We now have the tools and resources to solve every single one of these cases. The term Jane and John Doe can be a thing of the past. If you have a missing loved one and are seeking answers, I’m urging you to upload your DNA to GEDmatch and create an account in NamUs or any other investigatory genealogy data base so companies like Identifinders International can help bring closure to your family. Maryann Newsom Collette is the true hero in this story. Had she not found the courage to submit her DNA to GEDmatch, we would not have made this type of progress on the case.”