Skeletal remains found stuffed inside a suitcase along a north Georgia highway in 2016 have been identified as those of a missing Pennsylvania woman.
She’s identified as Jessica Ashley Manchini, according to a statement from the Gwinnett County Police Department. Manchini is believed to have been 29 years old when she died. Her remains were found in a suitcase discarded in a wooded area along I-985 on July 29, 2016, the Gwinnett Daily Post reports. Authorities previously said they believed the woman died in early 2016 based on the decomposition of her body.
New technology leads to a break in the case
Detectives were able to identify Manchini using a tag from the suitcase and new technology.
The tag appeared to have faded blue ink that was no longer visible to the human eye, according to GCPD. “Several lighting tests were done in 2016 to try and read the writing, but the ink appeared to have washed away,” the release states.
For three years detectives sought to identify the mystery woman. They released to the public pictures of the type of clothes she was wearing and a forensic artist’s rendering of what they believed she may have looked like. But the investigation stalled, until this month.
In June 2019, 0fficials re-examined the tag using the new technology and it revealed a partial name and address. That led investigators to a missing person named Jessica Manchini. They used dental and medical records to confirm the remains as hers.
Manchini was originally from Pennsylvania. She spent the last few years of her life in Gwinnett County. Her mother reported her missing in December 2014.
Police seek public’s help with investigation
The cause and manner of Manchini’s death are still under investigation. Police ask anyone with information about this case to contact GCPD detectives at 770-513-5300.
To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or visit www.stopcrimeATL.com. Crime Stoppers tipsters can receive a cash reward for information leading to an arrest and indictment in this case. The case number is 16-070200.
