NEWPORT TOWNSHIP, Pa. - Investigators with Pennsylvania State Police have identified a set of human remains as a teen missing for more than 50 years.
According to the agency, the human remains were discovered in Luzerne County on November 17, 2002, on the grounds of a former coal-mining operation in Newport Township.
Police say the remains have been identified as Joan Marie Dymond, who was 14 years old when she disappeared from Andover Street Park on June 25, 1969.
Examination of the remains reveals that Dymond died of suspicious circumstances and lab results indicate that it is highly likely that she died in the late 1960s, troopers say.
Investigators were able to identify Dymond by using DNA and comparing it to a DNA sample provided by Dymond's family, according to the agency.
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"We never stopped pursuing answers, and this investigation remains very active," Captain Patrick Dougherty said. "After 23 years, the family of Joan Marie Dymond very much deserves closure. We will do everything in our power to see that they have it."
The department is now shifting gears to focus on finding who was responsible for the teen's death.
Troopers are asking for the public's help in finding the person responsible for Dymond's death.
Anyone with information regarding her disappearance is asked to call 570-542-4117.