Marie Petry Heiser, 50, was found dead on June 27, 1977, in a rural area off Old Union Church Road near Townsend, Delaware. A teenage cyclist discovered her nude, decomposed body in or near a drainage ditch by a wooded area; investigators determined the manner of death was homicide. For decades she was listed as an unidentified Jane Doe until forensic DNA and genealogical research identified her as Marie Petry Heiser of Philadelphia in March 2021.

Authorities said Heiser had never been reported missing and noted past residences on Crafton Street in Northeast Philadelphia. Reports state she left behind a husband and two children and that she had been married to a former Philadelphia police officer. Detectives have said they scrutinized the husband’s explanation about her disappearance during their review, but no arrests or named suspects have been announced and the case remains open.

Anyone who knew Marie Petry Heiser or her family in the weeks before June 27, 1977, is asked to come forward with information.