Authorities have identified a decomposed body discovered on Long Island during the 1980s as that of a 15-year-old girl who had been missing for decades, with police suggesting her remains were likely transported from an alternate burial site.
Susan Mann vanished from her Queens home on May 17, 1980. Her remains were discovered in a Freeport dumpster over two years later; however, her identity remained unknown until recently, as investigators continue to work on this unsettling cold-case murder, according to police statements made during a press briefing.
“We remain committed to our investigations,” stated Nassau County Police Detective Capt. Stephen Fitzpatrick during a news conference. “There are no cold cases; we see them as open cases.”
“The advances in DNA technology have been remarkable,” Fitzpatrick noted, reflecting on the recent breakthrough. “This is yet another positive identification made possible by the ever-evolving world of DNA science.”
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According to police, Mann rode her bike away from home to retrieve her sister’s stolen pocketbook from school, but she was never seen alive again.
On November 4, 1982, her remains were uncovered in a dumpster behind Cantor Glassworks located on North Main Street in Freeport, yet authorities could not connect the body to the missing girl at the time.
Buried anonymously as a Jane Doe, her remains were exhumed this year for advanced DNA testing that was unavailable in the 1980s, as per Fitzpatrick’s comments.
Fitzpatrick revealed that the identification was made possible through the FBI’s Investigative Genealogy Program.
“Our investigation suggests that she may have been relocated, possibly shortly after 1980, before ultimately being taken to this location in 1982,” he stated, with no clarity on the reasons for moving the body.
It is plausible that her killer may have transferred the remains from a temporary grave out of concern it might be discovered during an impending construction project, he added.
“Anyone who might recall construction activities in 1981 or 1982, please reach out to us,” he urged.
Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of $25,000 for any information leading to an arrest.
Mann’s death was ruled a homicide following the grim discovery of her remains, leaving investigators with minimal leads—other than a “K” necklace found remaining intact on the body, which ruled out robbery as a potential motive.
Fitzpatrick expressed that the situation has brought about a “full spectrum of emotions” for the family of the tragic missing teenager.
