100 Murder Cases

The Case of Jeanette DePalma

In 1972 in Springfield, New Jersey, a dog brought a decomposing forearm to its owner. They quickly alerted police and this prompted a police search and a body was soon found afterward atop a cliff. The body was identified as Jeanette DePalmer, a 16-year-old who had gone missing for six weeks.

Like rapid-fire, rumors about the cause of her death began to spread. The hill where she was discovered was covered with occult symbols and many were led to believe that her body was placed on a makeshift altar. Many locals, plus even some police members, pointed their fingers at a coven of witches, otherwise known as Satanists, who were rumored to have used DePalma for a human sacrifice.

Because of a flood, many of the case's details have been destroyed. However, some reports from local papers mention that police couldn't determine the cause of death due to her badly decomposed body. Authorities investigated a local homeless man who was a prime suspect, only to find no connection with the killing. Many believed that DePalma may have provoked a group of Satan-worshipping teens at her high school since she was involved with a group that helped drug addicts find their faith in Christ. To this day, her death remains unsolved.