‘Jane Doe’ Identified In 44-Year-Old West Haven Cold Case

WEST HAVEN, CT — Through DNA and genealogy testing, the “Jane Doe” in a more than 40-year-old case in West Haven has been identified, police said in an update Thursday.

The skeletal remains of a woman that were found in April 1979 on the then New Haven Water Company Property off Derby Avenue have been identified as Sarah Tatham Abbott, who was born Aug. 3, 1940 in Manhattan, New York.

A preliminary investigation conducted by members of the West Haven Police Department Investigative Services Division found that Abbott, who was affectionately known as “Sally” by her family, was 29 years old at the time of her disappearance from New Haven in July of 1970, according to police.

“The investigation into the death of Ms. Abbott did not yield any definitive conclusions with regard to her manner and cause of death, which after consulting with the State of Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, will remain undetermined,” police wrote in a post on Facebook. “Anyone who may have information pertaining to Ms. Abbott is asked to contact the West Haven Police Department Investigative Services Division at (203) 937-3905.

“In addition to our community and Othram, the West Haven Police Department would also like to thank the various agencies and entities that have assisted in this investigation throughout the years, including the State of Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the Regional Water Authority, and multiple generations of members of the West Haven Police Department, for their commitment and unwavering efforts to identify this young woman over the past forty-four (44) years. If nothing else, the identification of Ms. Abbott brings closure to a family that has been ‘searching for sally’ for over half a century.”