Patterson Irrigator | Your Local Paper - Suspected murder victim identified 37 years after death

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Suspected murder victim identified 37 years after death

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Written by PI Staff
Friday, 03 October 2008
See also: Investigators reopen 1971 homicide case The battered body of a woman found in the Delta-Mendota Canal between Patterson and Grayson in 1971 has been identified, investigators said Friday. The woman was identified as Mary Alice Willey of San Francisco, according to a press release from the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department. For the past 37 years, Willey had been buried in Patterson District Cemetery as Jane Doe. In April, investigators removed her body from the grave to try to identify her and perhaps solve the mystery of her death. The event generated much media attention. Willey’s family heard the reports and believed the body could have been their missing loved one. They contacted police, who were able to identify the body through DNA, deputy Royjindar Singh said in the press release. When Willey’s body was found in 1971, she had “numerous and severe” injuries to her face, neck, hands and upper body. Police will release more details about the investigation during a Monday press conference. Set as favorite Bookmark Email This Hits: 540 Comments (0) Subscribe to this comment's feed Write comment Name Email Title Comment smaller \| bigger Subscribe via email (Registered users only) I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.