Remains Were Discovered in Park After Grave Was Desecrated. Officials Finally Identified Them as Woman Who Died in 1907

Police were called to a wooded area in a Delaware park in 2011, after receiving reports of human remains and a skull Investigators were unable to identify the remains other than as a female between 25 and 50 After further DNA analysis and a facial reconstruction, authorities identified the remains as Hannah Kleitz, who died in 1907 at the age of 29 The mystery behind human remains found in a Delaware park in 2011 has finally been solved after investigators were able to trace them to a woman from the turn of the 20th century. The New Castle County Police identified the remains as belonging to Hannah Graham Kleitz, 29, who died in 1907 from a medical illness, according to a Saturday, Sept. 5, news release. The cold case began on June 5, 2011, when police were called to a wooded area in Sellers Park, located off Edgemoor Road in Wilmington, after receiving reports of human remains and a skull. An investigation was launched, and the remains were transferred to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. A forensic analysis of the skeletal remains indicated that the victim was a female, possibly between the ages of 25 and 50. 'Investigators entered the case information into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) and extracted a DNA profile from the remains, which was entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS),' police said. 'Despite these efforts, investigators were unable to identify the woman.' Eight years after the discovery of the remains, the New Castle County Police cold case unit reviewed the investigation, authorities said. As part of the probe, a 3D scan of the victim's skull was made and submitted to a forensic art professor from George Mason University, who then conducted a facial reconstruction to assist in the identification. Investigators also pursued further DNA analysis involving forensic investigative genetic genealogy. They contacted people throughout the country who volunteered their ancestral information and DNA profiles. Then in January 2026, according to police, a potential family member reached out to police and said the mausoleum and grave of a relative at Riverview Cemetery were unlawfully desecrated in 2002. 'Remains similar to those discovered at Sellers Park had been removed from the grave,' police said. With the extended family's blessing, an exhumation was performed, and a DNA comparison led to the identification of Kleitz. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. On Aug. 27, members of Kleitz's extended family and those involved in the investigation gathered at Riverview Cemetery to return Kleitz's remains to her mausoleum, police added. 'The New Castle County Division of Police sincerely thanks everyone who contributed their time, compassion, and dedication to helping resolve this case, provide closure to Hannah's family, and ensure Hannah could finally return to her rightful resting place,' police said. Read the original article on People