The Berks County Coroner’s Office in Pennsylvania announced Thursday, June 4, that it has positively identified human remains discovered in Windsor Township, Berks County, PA more than three decades ago, as being the body of a young Bronx mother who was  reported missing in the early 1990s, bringing long-awaited answers to a Bronx family who never stopped searching for their loved one.

 

According to the officials from the Coroner’s Office, on June 3, 1992, a farmer working in a field along Christman Road in Windsor Township, located between Balthaser Road and Dreibelbis Road, discovered a human skull lying atop freshly turned soil. They said authorities were immediately notified, and a subsequent search revealed a shallow grave containing partial skeletal remains.

 

They said an examination of the remains determined they belonged to a white female believed to be between 25 and 40 years of age and approximately 5 feet, 3 inches tall. They said investigators estimated that the remains had been buried for at least one year prior to their discovery.

 

Officials from the Coroner’s Office went on to say that due to the condition of the remains, an exact cause and manner of death could not be determined. A forensic facial sketch was created in an effort to identify the woman, and officials said investigators utilized every available resource at the time, including DNA analysis, media outreach, and entry into national databases such as the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs).

 

They said despite these efforts, the woman remained unidentified and became known as “Christman Jane Doe.”

 

They said for 34 years, investigators from the Berks County Coroner’s Office and Pennsylvania State Police remained committed to identifying her, and in 2024, the Berks County Coroner’s Office partnered with Parabon NanoLabs, Inc. to initiate a forensic investigative genetic genealogy examination, utilizing advanced DNA technology to trace potential family connections through ancestral DNA.

 

They said that over the next two years, the Berks County Coroner’s Office and Pennsylvania State Police worked closely with Parabon NanoLabs and forensic specialists to develop investigative leads, and their efforts ultimately led investigators to a family in The Bronx, who had been searching for their missing loved one since the early 1990s.

 

On April 14, 2026, through the combined efforts of forensic genetic genealogy, investigative research, and the cooperation of surviving family members, “Christman Jane Doe” was positively identified as Nuria C. Rodriguez.

 

“No longer known only as Jane Doe, she is once again recognized by her name and remembered by those who loved her,” officials from the Coroner’s office said. “She was a daughter, a sister, and, most importantly, a mother. She was only 25 years old when she disappeared from Bronx, New York. Her family knew something was wrong when she failed to appear for her child’s birthday, a day, they say, she would never have missed.”

 

They went on to say that for more than three decades, the family searched for answers and held onto hope that one day they would learn what happened to her. They said the identification of the remains is the result of decades of dedication by investigators, forensic specialists, and partner agencies who refused to let the case be forgotten.

 

“We were finally able to restore her identity and reconnect her with her family,” they said. “Every unidentified individual is more than a case file; they are a person with a name, a history, and loved ones who continue to search for answers. With the identification of Nuria, she is no longer an unknown victim. She is a daughter, a sister, and a mother whose absence left unanswered questions for those who cared about her most.”

 

They said that while no identification can erase the pain of loss or the years of uncertainty her family endured, it can provide long-awaited answers and restore an important part of their family’s story. “It is our hope that finally knowing what became of Nuria brings a measure of peace to those who spent more than three decades searching for her and ensures that she will be remembered not as Jane Doe, but by the name and life that were always hers,” they said.

 

The Berks County Coroner’s Office thanked the many agencies and organizations whose collaboration, they said, made the identification possible. These included Pennsylvania State Police Troop L, Hamburg, Parabon NanoLabs, Inc., Mercyhurst University Department of Applied Forensic Science, University of South Florida Institute for Forensic Anthropology and Applied Science, and the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs).

 

They said that while her identity has now been restored, the investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death remains active. Anyone with information regarding Nuria C. Rodriguez or the circumstance of her disappearance is encouraged to contact Pennsylvania State Police Troop L, Hamburg, at (610) 5626885.

 

Norwood News has asked the NYPD for details of a missing person’s report for Rodriguez and will share any further information we receive in relation to the case.

 

As reported in March, “Jupiter Joe” got 25 years to life for the 1999 murder of Minerliz Soriano in the first New York City indictment using familial DNA.

 

In February 2025, DNA helped convict a Bronx man who got 20 Years for a home invasion and attack on a 12-year-old girl.