Cynthia "Cindy" Gastelle (September 4, 1961 – April 1980) was a formerly unidentified American
murder
Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person wit ...
victim who disappeared on April 3, 1980.
Her body was found two years later, but remained unidentified for 30 years before matching of
mitochondrial DNA
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA or mDNA) is the DNA located in mitochondria, cellular organelles within eukaryotic cells that convert chemical energy from food into a form that cells can use, such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mitochondrial D ...
entered into the national DNA database provided her identity.
Circumstances
Cynthia Gastelle, a recent high school graduate, was last seen heading to a job interview at a deli in
Takoma Park, Maryland
Takoma Park is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Washington, D.C., Washington, and part of the Washington metropolitan area. Founded in 1883 and incorporated in 1890, Takoma Park, informally called "Azalea C ...
. She had left home around 10:30 and had boarded a Ride On bus to
Silver Spring according to her brother Peter Gastelle.
Though Cynthia Gastelle was supposed to go to 2 job interviews, she only arrived at one of them.
Gastelle never returned home that day. She had run away twice before, and had also attempted unsuccessfully to change her identity, so her family waited a few days before reporting her missing.
However, her family gave no indication that she was currently in trouble at the time of her disappearance.
Gastelle's skeletal remains were found by a hiker approximately 45 miles from her Takoma Park home on February 11, 1982,
upon Bull Run Mountain in
Haymarket, Virginia
Haymarket is a town in Prince William County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,552 as of the 2020 census.
History
Haymarket is on land that was a hunting ground of the western Iroquois nations, who came from the New York and Penns ...
; they were located on private property in what was then a secluded wooded area, nearly a mile off of
U.S. Route 15
U.S. Route 15 (US 15) is a -long United States highway, designated along South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. The route is signed north–south, from U.S. Route 17 Alternate in Walterboro, South Caro ...
.
At the time, forensic technology was not advanced enough for investigators to know how the unidentified remains had gotten there, or if it was a homicide. However, the case is now being investigated as a homicide after recent examinations revealed the decedent had sustained injuries consistent with stabbing.
Apparently, the skeleton had clothing on it which could have been recognized by Gastelle's family. However, the
Prince William County Police Department
Prince William County Police Department (PWCPD) is a county police department in Prince William County, Virginia, United States. PWCPD has primary jurisdiction in all towns within the county, including Dumfries, Occoquan, Haymarket, and Quanti ...
was unaware that Gastelle was missing and so, they never contacted the
Takoma Park Police Department
The Takoma Park Police Department (TPPD) is the primary law enforcement agency servicing a population of approximately 17,670 (2014 est.), within of the municipality of Takoma Park, Maryland. Until July 1, 1997, the TPPD was aided by both the P ...
. The remains eventually became a
Jane Doe
John Doe (male) and Jane Doe (female) are multiple-use placeholder names that are used when the true name of a person is unknown or is being intentionally concealed. In the context of law enforcement in the United States, such names are often ...
.
Identification
Over the years, Gastelle's father would be called to examine remains and visit morgues according to her brother Greg Gastelle. Gastelle would eventually be added to
NamUs
Nāmūs is the Arabic word (Greek "νόμος") of a concept of an ethical category, a virtue, in Middle Eastern patriarchal character. Literally translated as "virtue", it is now more popularly used in a strong gender-specific context of relati ...
and the
Doe Network
The Doe Network is a non-profit organization of volunteers who work with law enforcement to connect missing persons cases with John/Jane Doe cases. They maintain a website about cold cases and unidentified persons, and work to match these with m ...
, however neither her
dental X-rays
Dental radiographs, commonly known as X-rays, are radiographs used to diagnose hidden dental structures, malignant or benign masses, bone loss, and cavities.
A radiographic image is formed by a controlled burst of X-ray radiation which penetrate ...
or
DNA was included on both sites which made comparisons between her and unidentified decedents challenging. In 2001,
DNA evidence from the Jane Doe was entered into the national DNA database. In 2011, DNA samples from Gastelle's family was collected from an unrelated case elsewhere. That same year, a user on
Websleuths
Websleuths is an internet community that is focused on crime and missing persons. The privately owned Websleuths LLC maintains a forum for registered users to discuss and classify information related to crimes, trials and unsolved cases, which th ...
noted that Gastelle was not on NamUs's exclusion list for the Jane Doe. The Takoma Park police were contacted in February 2011 to make a comparison between her and Jane Doe which was initiated that July. It was revealed in June 2012 that a match had been made via
mitochondrial DNA
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA or mDNA) is the DNA located in mitochondria, cellular organelles within eukaryotic cells that convert chemical energy from food into a form that cells can use, such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mitochondrial D ...
.
Gastelle's identification was preceded by the death of her mother Mary in 1993 and father Terence in 2001.
Following Gastelle's identification, the investigation is now focused on finding Gastelle's killer. Detectives have stated an aim to speak to Gastelle's boyfriend at the time, whose first name is Micheal, nicknamed "Mike", but have made it clear that he is not considered a suspect.
As of 2012, detectives were unable to locate Micheal.
Investigators are also looking to understand how Gastelle's remains ended up in Virginia, as she was not known to have any ties to
Prince William County
Prince William County is located on the Potomac River in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population sits at 482,204, making it Virginia's second-most populous county. Its county seat is the independent city of Manassas ...
.
It is believed that Gastelle, who could not drive, did not go there of her own volition, but was instead driven there by someone else. It has not been stated whether this likely occurred before or after her death.
See also
*
List of formerly unidentified decedents
*
List of solved missing persons cases
Lists of solved missing person cases include:
* List of solved missing person cases: pre-2000
* List of solved missing person cases: post-2000
See also
* List of kidnappings
* List of murder convictions without a body
* List of people who di ...
References
1980 in Virginia
1980 murders in the United States
1982 in Virginia
April 1980 events in the United States
Deaths by person in Virginia
Deaths by stabbing in the United States
Formerly missing people
Incidents of violence against women
Missing person cases in Virginia
Unsolved murders in the United States
History of women in Virginia
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