Jane Doe Identified After 47 Years
The 1975 Disappearance of Patricia Gildawie
Patricia Gildawie of Fairfax, Virginia, was said to have been dating a man in his 30’s in 1975 when she disappeared. Gildawie’s sister told authorities that the last time she saw her sister she was covered in bruises. Although Patricia claimed that the bruises were from “falling,” her sister believed that the man she was dating was physically abusing her and likely responsible for her disappearance.
On September 27, 2001, skeletal remains were found in the Fairfax area. The victim appeared to have been shot to death. However, DNA testing was not advanced enough for authorities to identify the Jane Doe. Now, almost 50 years later, the remains have finally been identified as 17-year-old Patricia Gildawie who vanished back in 1975.
In 2001 a construction crew had stumbled across the remains near a drainage ditch behind an apartment complex in McLean, Virginia. Along with bones were various pieces of clothing, accessories, and pieces of the victim’s shoes.
At that time authorities thought the victim had been deceased for approximately four months, rather than the 25 years Patricia had been missing for. A postmortem examination also led authorities to believe the victim was a Black female between the ages of 15 and 20 years old.
With Patricia missing for 25 years by 2001 it’s unclear if her family was even notified of this original discovery. Patricia’s killer is still unknown.
