Murder of Evelyn Colon
Evelyn Colon | |
|---|---|
Digitally enhanced photograph of Evelyn Colon | |
| Born | April 17, 1961 |
| Disappeared | Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Status | Identified after 44 years |
| Died | c. December 13–19, 1976 (aged 15) |
| Cause of death | Strangulation |
| Body discovered | December 20, 1976 |
| Resting place | Laurytown Road Cemetery, Weatherly, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Known for | Formerly unidentified victim of homicide |
| Height | 4 ft 11 in (1.50 m) (minimum) 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) (maximum) |
Evelyn Colon (previously known as Beth Doe; April 17, 1961 – December 1976) was a formerly unidentified American teenager from New Jersey who was found murdered and dismembered in three suitcases along with her unborn daughter on December 20, 1976, in White Haven, Pennsylvania. The brutality of the crime, the fact that she was pregnant when she was killed and the length of time that she remained unidentified drew national attention.
After isotope analysis was conducted in 2007, it was believed she had been an immigrant from a Central European country. In 2019, it was announced police were considering the possibility that this victim had been a runaway foster child who was last known to be in New York, but investigators subsequently located the girl and confirmed that she was alive.
On March 31, 2021, it was officially announced that the victim had been identified as 15-year-old Evelyn Colon of Jersey City, New Jersey. In addition, the identity of her alleged killer, Luis Sierra, was made public after charges were filed. As of January 2025, these charges have been dismissed, as authorities determined her murder happened in New Jersey, and not Pennsylvania.