For nearly three decades the name of so-called "Sugarloaf Jane Doe" -- whose body was found in Sugarloaf Township, Luzerne County -- remained a mystery.
No more is she nameless thanks to DNA technology, Pennsylvania State Police said Tuesday.
Skeletal remains found in Pocono Mountains area in 1994
Crews working on a mining reclamation project found a woman's skeletal remains off Tomhicken Road in Sugarloaf Township, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 12, 1994, state police said.
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"Due to the condition of the remains, a cause and manner of death could not be determined," state police said.
Over the next 29-plus years, investigators worked to identify the remains, which were dubbed "Sugarloaf Jane Doe."
Using advancements in DNA technology to give 'Sugarloaf Jane Doe' a name
State police said DNA helped them to identify Margaret Carol Wininger.
"Through recent advancements in DNA technology and forensic genealogy, a possible relative for this unidentified woman was discovered," state police said. "Through an interview with this relative an additional DNA sample was obtained. The sample confirmed the relative was her sister."
Who was Margaret Carol Wininger?
Wininger was born on Sept. 5, 1948, state police said. She attended West Hazleton High School in the 1960s and went missing in the early 1990s, while living with family in Northeast Philadelphia.
How did Margaret Carol Wininger die?
Police have a name, but this cold case isn't closed as the conditions of Wininger's remains when they were found made it so that a cause and manner of death couldn't be determined.
State police said the investigation remained ongoing and asked anyone with information or was in contact with Wininger in the early 1990s to contact Trooper Brian Noll at 570-220-8475 or bnoll@pa.gov.
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