HARRISONBURG, Va. — Skeletal remains found in Boca Raton, Florida in 1978 have been identified as a Virginia woman, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
On Jan. 18, 1978, construction workers in Boca Raton found partially buried skeletal remains, according to the sheriff's office. She was identified as a white female between the ages of 17-29, and her manner of death was ruled a homicide by the medical examiner.
Efforts to identify her over the years failed, but in July 2024 Othram, a private lab dedicated to solving cold cases with forensic DNA, provided Palm Beach detectives with leads derived from genealogical research.
On December 2, investigators identified the remains as Patricia Ann Ritchie from Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Ritchie was last seen at a truck stop in Harrisonburg getting into a truck with an unknown person. Investigators say this happened in either 1976 or 1977, and she would have been 23-24 years old when she disappeared.
Anyone with information is on Ritchie is asked to contact Investigator William Springer of the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Cold Case Unit at 561-688-4013 or springerw@pbso.org, or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-458-8477.
