The remains of a Pennsylvania schoolgirl were found in 1973. The police have finally identified her.

Officials in Pennsylvania have identified remains found in 1973 as those of a missing schoolgirl press conference Thursday.

Two Lebanon County game wardens found the girl’s remains in a wooded area in Lebanon County on Oct. 10, 1973, according to PSP tipspart of the Pennsylvania State Police.

The remains, later determined to belong to missing 14-year-old Ruth Elizabeth Brenneman, were under a plastic tarp and had already decomposed when they were found in the 1970s.

The girl’s manner of death was considered undetermined, a state police sergeant said. Josh Lacey at the press conference. When local media asked Lacey for more information, he said there was some suspicion surrounding her death.

“It was an ambiguous death, meaning there was some suspicion given that she was found under a tarp and some brush,” he said.

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Teen Jane Doe was identified in 1973 through genealogy

Researchers have tried to identify the remains for the past several decades. Facial reconstructions were made to identify the girl. One bust was created through forensic analysis, and the other was a 3D rendering created in collaboration with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Lacey said at the conference.

All authorities knew she was a white woman with long brown or blond hair, and that she was between 6 feet 10 inches and 6 feet 11 inches tall with a thin to medium build.

Authorities exhumed the girl’s body from Mount Lebanon Cemetery in May 2016, state police said.

Dr. Rick Snow, who works as a consultant for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, helped remove the girl’s remains, Lacey said. The remains were then taken to a hospital for examination.

“With the assistance of Astrea Labs and the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation, a positive identification was made in October 2024,” Lacey said. “This young woman will no longer be known as Jane Doe. She will be known by her given name, Ruth Elizabeth Brenneman.”

Trooper Ian Keck, the lead investigator on the case, also spoke and said it was a combination of factors that led to the identification of the girl’s remains.

“It was good genealogical research, going out, interviewing family, going through old articles, public records of newspaper articles, as well as court documents,” Keck said.

Teen’s family says they have “some closure” as the investigation continues

Brenneman was 14 when she went missing, born on November 26, 1958 Lebanon daily newspart of the USA TODAY network. She was known for her “long, blonde hair,” Lacey said.

She was last seen at the beginning of the 1973 school year. She went to school and never returned home. She was from York County, about 45 miles from where she was found, he said.

Authorities have not answered questions about whether she came to school the day she went missing or which school she attended, but they said they are still trying to learn more about her.

Her family prepared a statement that Lacey read at the press conference.

“The family would like to express our gratitude to Trooper (Ian) Keck and others from the Pennsylvania State Police team for identifying Ruthie,” the family said in the statement. “Their work has given us some closure on questions that have lingered for the past 51 years.”

Police said a $5,000 reward has been offered for information that solves Brenneman’s case.

They ask that anyone with information contact the PSP Reading Station at (610) 378-4454, the PSP Tips at 1-800-472-8477 or via email at [email protected].

Contributing: Matthew Toth, Lebanon Daily News

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at @SaleenMartin or email her [email protected].

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Remains of Ruth Brenneman identified in 1973 Pennsylvania cold case