Anna Mae Lainhart was 38 when her skeletal remains were discovered on February 1, 2002, in Hust Alley in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. She had been missing since July 2001; a man walking his dog found the remains. The coroner estimated she had been dead about six months when found. Her death was ruled a homicide after investigators determined she had been beaten to death with a blunt object, possibly something like a hammer.

Family members believe Anna’s body may have been kept in an abandoned building before being moved to the alley. During her last months she was trying to get back on her feet and was described by loved ones as vulnerable. The case remains unsolved; Cincinnati police and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation are seeking public help, and her case is listed in the Ohio Attorney General’s unsolved homicide database.

If anyone knew Anna, saw activity in Hust Alley in mid to late 2001, or has information about who might have harmed her, please come forward.