Remains found in Pennsylvania in 1973 are identified as a missing 14-year-old

LEBANON, Pa. -- A girl's remains found under brush and a plastic tarp in the Pennsylvania woods 51 years ago were identified by state police Thursday as 14-year-old Ruth Elizabeth Brenneman, who was last seen leaving for school in fall 1973.

State police said genetic genealogy helped determine the identity of the decomposed body that was discovered near Fort Indiantown Gap by two game wardens on Oct. 10, 1973. The cause and manner of death of Ruthie, as she was known, have not been determined, police said.

“Just because we identified her today, that doesn’t end our investigation,” Trooper Ian Keck said at a news conference Thursday. “Learning about her everyday life and who she associated with is a key part of this investigation.”

Her body was exhumed from a cemetery in 2016, leading to her identification last month, state police said. Her home in York is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from where her remains were recovered.

A statement from her family members thanked investigators, saying their work provided "some closure on questions that have lingered for the past 51 years.”