The Case of the Embalmed Head Found in Rural PA: Economy Jane Doe

On December 12, 2014, a teenager found a well-preserved, severed head in a wooded area in Economy, Pennsylvania. The head lay on its side, approximately 30 feet from the roadway.

No one knew the woman’s identity or how it ended up in the woods. The woman sported gray hair and a slightly sagging face, leading detectives to believe she was between 40 and 60 years old. Her skin was waxy.

Plastic caps held her eyelids closed. Removing these caps revealed that her eyes had been removed, and replaced by red rubber balls. Investigators soon realized the head had been embalmed.

Investigators suspected that the head had been in the woods exposed to the elements for “days or weeks.” A thorough search of the woods and surrounding areas did not locate the rest of the body or provide any additional evidence as investigators had hoped.

Not a Homicide; Human Body Parts Trafficking

Detectives initially suspected a homicide, however, the discoveries led them in a new direction. Now, they suspected someone had tampered with a body on its way to a funeral home or from a cemetery to traffic human body parts.

Further, the precision of the cut led detectives to believe the person responsible for severing the head had medical and anatomy training and experience.

They didn’t know anyone in the area involved in the trafficking of human body parts, although were determined to identify the woman and the perpetrators behind the crime.

With this information, detectives began scouring local cemeteries for signs of disturbances in the ground or soil. Their efforts proved fruitless, leading them nowhere.

DNA testing nor dental records helped police identify the woman. Toxicology reports revealed two drugs used to treat cardiac health conditions in her bloodstream. This led them to suspect perhaps she died from a heart attack or related condition.

Other evidence found led detectives to suspect that the woman had traveled through Ohio, West Virginia, New York, West Virginia, and Maryland before arriving in Economy, PA.

Help Identify Economy Jane Doe

Out of respect for the woman and her family, Beaver County officials buried the head. Nine years since, the identity of the head remains unknown.

"She was somebody's aunt, mom; we need to figure this out," said District Attorney Anthony Berosh.

There is currently a $10,000 reward offered for anyone with information that leads to the woman's identity. If you have information about the case, reach out to the Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers at 1-800-4PA-TIPS or online at https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=107.

Sources:

https://www.crimewatchpa.com/crimestoppers/316/cases/cold-case-embalmed-human-head-found-2014-beaver-county-10000-reward-one-week-only

https://www.timesonline.com/story/news/local/2022/12/08/increased-reward-offered-for-information-on-embalmed-head-found-in-economy-beaver-county/69708414007/

https://www.wpxi.com/news/top-stories/new-theory-on-how-womans-embalmed-head-came-to-be-found-in-beaver-co/637408090/

Thanks for reading this story. Leave your thoughts below in the comment section. You can also share this post with your friends on social media. Just hit the share tabs located on this page. I appreciate your support.

More True Crime

While you are here, why not "subscribe" to Criminal Matters on Vocal so you never miss another post? You'll get a notification each time I publish a new story!

You should also check out some other stories posted by Criminal Matters, such as:

He Left His Friend's Headless Body in The Car

Best friends spent the night partying. Driving home, John swerved to miss an oncoming car, nearly striking a pole instead. He continued home, parked his car, and fell asleep in his bed. Cops woke him up a few hours later. He wore blood-spattered clothing and had no idea he had decapitated his best friend when he swerved to miss the car.

The Youngest Killers

We expect children to play with toys and their friends, but some of them kill,. This life-changing, gruesome decision. Read five such cases in this blog post.