NJ students help solve cold case of Allentown woman missing since 2014

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Human remains found in New Jersey in 2017 have finally been identified as a Pennsylvania woman who went missing more than a decade ago.

What we know:

Maria Quinones Garcia went missing in 2014, when she was just 54 years old.

She was last seen at her Allentown home near the Lehigh River, which flows into the Delaware River - the place where a years-long missing persons case began.

The backstory:

On May 21, 2017, a foot with a sock and shoe were discovered near the Delaware River in Warren County, New Jersey.

No other remains were found, and DNA testing was unable to produce a positive identification for several years.

Then, in 2023, bone remains were used to develop a genotype profile when New Jersey State Police partnered with the Ramapo College IGG Center to utilize investigative genetic genealogy.

Students were able to produce Maria Quinones Garcia as a possible identity for the human remains in spring 2024.

Finally, Garcia's identity could be confirmed since her children also had their DNA tested.

What they're saying:

"Although the outcome for the Quinones family is tragic, we hope that Maria’s identification brings answers to her loved ones," said  Dr. David Gurney, director of the Ramapo College IGG Center. "We are grateful for the opportunity to have made an impact here in New Jersey."

This is the first announced cold case identification since the New Jersey State Police and Ramapo College IGG Center began their partnership, according to a press release from the college.