Sumter cops look to solve ultimate cold case
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| Composites by USF/University of Florida |
Daily Commercial – FL, USA
Sumter cops look to solve ultimate cold case
Published: Saturday, June 30, 2012
LAKE PANASOFFKEE
Staff Report
An unidentified homicide victim dubbed “Little Miss Lake Panasoffkee” has been a cold case for more than 40 years, but the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office hopes that will change now since new information has been unveiled.
Two hitchhikers found her body underneath the Lake Panasoffkee Bridge at Interstate 75 in 1971. She was strangled with a belt and investigators believe she’d been in the water at least a month.
An investigation at the time ground to a halt and there have been no new leads for decades.
Three months ago, sheriff’s detectives asked the Anthropology Department at the University of South Florida conduct further testing on the remains after learning of the university’s involvement in other Bay Area cold cases. The anthropology department re-examined the remains and generated a new composite image of the victim and that of her clothing worn at the time of her death.
Dr. Erin Kimmerle with USF’s anthropology department re-created the woman’s plaid pants and green and white floral shawl from autopsy photos.
According to detectives, the victim was between 17-24 years of age; between 5 feet, 2 inches and 5 feet, 5 inches tall; and weighed approximately 110-120 pounds when she died. She had dark hair and brown eyes. (more…)
Additional source: http://www.sumtercountysheriff.org/coldcases.asp
