Unidentified people · Camden, Camden County
The young woman found under a Camden porch (1979)
Unresolved · Remains unidentified
In April 1979 the body of a young Black woman was found beneath the porch of an abandoned Camden house; New Jersey State Police records show she has never been identified.
An abandoned house in Camden
The New Jersey State Police say the woman’s body was found on April 28, 1979, under the porch of an abandoned house in Camden. Her listing carries two case numbers, 79-27323 and 90-11-28-158, along with NIC number U160046194.
The listing puts her estimated date of death at January 1, 1979, about four months before the discovery. It does not explain how that estimate was reached.
What the record describes
The listing identifies her as a Black female with an estimated birth year between 1959 and 1962, which would have made her roughly 16 to 20 years old. Her height is given as 5 feet 2 to 5 feet 5 inches and her hair as black. Weight, eye color, and any scars or marks are listed as unknown. Examiners noted that a deciduous (baby) tooth was present.
The listing describes her clothing: heavy brown bell-bottom pants from Sears (size 7, 24-inch waist, 41-inch length), size-medium underwear, and a small orange swimsuit or bodysuit made by Jacques Moret. She also wore a thin metal loop bracelet with a tension clasp and a gold necklace six inches long. Full x-rays and dental records are available for comparison.
What remains unknown
The listing gives no name, no cause of death, and no account of how she came to be under the porch. Anyone with information is asked to contact the New Jersey State Police at 1-800-709-7090 or missingp@gw.njsp.org, or the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office at 856-225-8400, the contacts given on the official case page.
Sources and research limits
- New Jersey State Police, Unidentified Persons/Bodies — Camden County, case 79-27323 / 90-11-28-158 / NIC U160046194 — Official case page, reopened and checked September 11, 2026, for the date found, location, estimated date of death, biological profile, clothing, jewelry, and tip contacts. The page does not explain why the case carries two numbers, and it gives no cause of death or narrative of the discovery. No contemporary 1979 newspaper coverage was located.