On April 2, 1978, an individual was walking his dog at Heckscher State Park, approximately 150 feet from the water line, on a beach that had been closed to bathers for several years. During this walk, the dog began scratching at loose sand, exposing what appeared to be the top portion of a human skull.
Law enforcement responded to the scene and ultimately dug up the sand around the skull, which led to the discovery of a set of human, skeletal remains. During the initial examination of the remains, a belt was observed, tightly bound around the neck area of the decedent.
The victim’s cause-of-death was determined to be strangulation. Based on anthropological assessment, the victim is believed to be a female, approximately 18-22 years old at the time of her death, which is believed to have occurred in 1975 or prior.
In 2024, the Cold Case Task Force, in conjunction with Danielle Gruttadaurio, a forensic artist with the SCPD, was able to re-examine the victim’s skull and create an updated composite sketch of how the victim likely appeared prior to her death. Anyone with information regarding this case or the identification of the victim is asked to contact contactda@suffolkcountyny.gov. A photograph of a clog-type sandal recovered with the decedent is also included herein.