New Castle County Police announced that a collaborative effort involving investigators, professors, and the community led to the identification of human remains found in a wooded area of Wilmington 15 years ago.
Police identified the remains as those of Hannah Graham Kleitz, who died in 1907 at age 29 from a medical illness.
Her family says her remains were actually removed from a mausoleum at Riverview Cemetery 25 years ago. Last week, investigators and family found closure as Kleitz’s remains were returned to her resting place.
“It was very emotional. It was good to see her back where she belonged,” said M/Cpl. Richard Chambers, public information officer for New Castle County Police.
The Discovery
According to police, the investigation began in 2011 when officers responded to Sellers Park in Wilmington and found human remains, including a skull. A forensic analysis determined the bones belonged to a female believed to be between 25 and 50 years old.
Investigators extracted a DNA profile and entered the information into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, but were unable to identify the remains at that time.
The Cold Case Reopens
In 2019, New Castle County’s Cold Case Squad reopened the case.
“From 2011 to 2019, there’s a lot of scientific changes with DNA and science, and it was a good time to review this case,” Chambers said.
Detectives sought assistance from Joe Mullins, a forensic art professor at George Mason University.
“These aren’t skulls; these are lost loved ones that have lost their identity,” Mullins said.
Using information gathered during the investigation and a 3D scan of the skull, Mullins created a facial reconstruction to help identify Kleitz.
“It’s just a skull on an armature. Then you slowly start to build up the muscles, the tissue depth markers, the nose, the lips; the features start to reveal themselves,” Mullins said.
A Family Connection
Through investigative genealogy, detectives found a potential match in January. A family member told police that in 2002, the bones had been illegally removed from the mausoleum.
Detectives say the remains were similar to those discovered at Sellers Park. They later confirmed the remains belonged to Kleitz.
“It’s certainly a win for Hannah’s family,” Mullins said.
“We’re not leaving any rock unturned. Our cold case detectives , this is their job to review these cases and never give up hope, and we’re really proud of these detectives,” Chambers said.
Ongoing Investigations
New Castle County Police said they continue to work on numerous cold cases listed on their website and encourage anyone with information to come forward.