Pregnant woman in 1988 cold case identified by police as missing Philadelphia mother
BENSALEM, Pa. - Authorities in Bensalem Township say they have new details in a cold case dating back 33 years.
After decades, investigators have identified the skeletal remains of a young pregnant female as Lisa Todd.
Todd's remains were found in an underground pump house at the abandoned Publicker Distillery along State Road on Jan. 24, 1988.
At the time of the discovery, authorities estimated the woman to be approximately six months pregnant and between the ages of 17 and 23. Todd's description did not match any reports of missing persons or runaways at that time.
Investigators were able to build out a family tree thanks to a genealogist and located two of Todd's family members in Philadelphia.
They verified that Lisa Todd has disappeared in the fall of 1985, at the age of 17, and was never heard from or seen again.
Police say Todd, who had a 2-year-old, was reported missing to Philadelphia police in October of 1985 but was taken out of the National Crime Information Center on her 18th birthday.
Todd's death is considered suspicious and it remains under investigation.
"We're here today to give you a rundown of the case, but more importantly, the family is still alive and have many family members in the city of Philadelphia," said Fred Harran, Bensalem's Director of Public Safety. "We know that there is someone out there that has more information on this particular case and we want that person to come forward."
Harran says the department will not rest until they find out the exact cause of death and manner of death, and whoever may be responsible is brought to justice.
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