Scared Monkeys Discussion Forum

Autopsy to tell whether baby is missing woman's
33-year-old may be crime victim

Posted on Wed, Jul. 18, 2007
Investigators continue to look for a woman with State College ties who is missing after a fire destroyed her Jefferson County residence while they await autopsy results to determine the identity of an infant found in the burned-out building.

Police are looking for Joey Lynn Offutt, 33, whose 1994 Saturn coupe was found by State College police Monday on Waupelani Drive, near where she once had an apartment.

It is still unclear whether Offutt -- who had a 6-week-old boy -- had something to do with the fire at 4 a.m. Thursday that destroyed the Sykesville residence. The body of an infant was found in the remains of the building.

Without the autopsy results, troopers cannot say whether the infant is Offutt's son.

"Whether she was directly involved in this or if she was abducted, investigators are chasing that all down right now," said state police Trooper Bruce A. Morris, public information officer for Troop C. "It's almost like she's fallen off the face of the planet."

State police are appealing to the public for help find Offutt, saying it's possible she herself is a crime victim.

"I'm confident this case is going to be resolved," Morris said. "She's the key to this whole thing."

Offutt is a white woman, 5 feet 3 inches tall with a thin build, brown hair and brown eyes.

She is officially a missing person and state police have entered her into the National Crime Information Center as such.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is urged to contact state police at DuBois at 371-4652.

Pete Bosak can be reached at 235-3928.

OMG! An infant's body....this is just another terrible story.

(http://www.wjactv.com/2007/0717/13696882_240X180.jpg)

Police Question Neighbors About Missing Woman

POSTED: 11:53 am EDT July 20, 2007

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- While police continue their search for a missing woman whose house was destroyed by a fire late last week, people in the neigborhood where her car was found said officials have been canvassing the area asking them what they know about the case.

It's been nearly a week since Joey Lynn Offutt's car was found abandoned at a State College apartment complex.

Some people who live at the Nittany Garden apartments have been speculating about what might have happened to her.

"I thought it was an abduction. The cop wasn't sure," said Tom Gardner.

George Elder talked about what police asked him.

"They asked what we had seen and they gave us pictures of her and her boyfriend and asked if we had seen them lately and any other information we had on them," he said.

Offutt's 1994 Saturn was found near where she once had an apartment. She has been missing since last week when the house she was renting in Sykesville burned down. The body of a baby was found inside the home. Investigators are still waiting for autopsy results to determine if it was Offutt's child.

In the meantime, police have been asking for the public's help in finding her. Offutt is a 33-year-old white woman 5 feet 3 inches tall, with a thin build, brown hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information on Offutt or the fire is asked to call Pennsylvania state police at 371-4652.

http://www.wjactv.com/news/13721839/detail.html

Joey Offutt Missing Since Fire Destroyed Her Home

July 24, 2007

SYKESVILLE, Pa. (Crime Library)  — Police are asking for the public's help in locating a woman who has been missing since a fire destroyed her home two weeks ago, killing an unidentified infant child.

On Thursday, July 12, Jefferson County firefighters were dispatched to an early-morning house fire in Sykesville.  By the time they controlled the blaze, the swift-moving fire had completely destroyed the home.  When police arrived on the scene to investigate, they found the body of an infant in the remains of the burned house.  When police questioned the owners, they learned 33-year-old Joey Lynn Offutt had been renting the house.  Neither Joey nor her car was found at the scene.

>>>>>The Full Story

http://www.crimelibrary.com/news/original/0707/2401_Joey_Offutt.html

Thanks to bleachedblack for starting this thread. This article includes information that Ms. Offutt's two other children were at the house at the time of the fire and mentions that Ms. Offutt speaks with a lisp.


DuBOIS - The state police are continuing their search for a woman who hasn't been seen since a fire heavily damaged her rented home in Sykesville.

Joey Lynn Offutt, 33, has been the object of an intensive search since the July 12 fire at 90 Dr. Fugate Drive, Sykesville.

In the course of the fire investigation, the remains of an infant child were located inside the residence. Results of an autopsy to determine the identity of the child and the manner of its death have not been released.
Two other children in the home escaped injury and were last reported to be staying with relatives.

Offutt has not been seen since prior to the fire. Investigators feel there are suspicious circumstances surrounding her disappearance and have a concern for her welfare.

Her vehicle, a red 1994 Saturn Coupe with Virginia Registration JXN8871, was located near the Nittany Gardens Apartments in State College.
Offutt is 5 feet, 3 inches tall. She weighs 110 pounds. She has a small build and brown hair and has glasses.

She also has a speech impairment, a lisp, and is known to frequent the State College and Winchester areas of Pennsylvania.

Anyone with information on Offutt's whereabouts should call the state police at 371-4652 or Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers Toll Free at 1-800-4PA-TIPS. All callers to Crime Stoppers remain anonymous and could be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,000.

http://www.thecourierexpress.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18634773&BRD=2758&PAG=461&dept_id=572984&rfi=6

Thanks for the update oldencrabby. I will keep my eyes open and my prayers flowing.

Reward Offered For Missing Woman

POSTED: 6:40 pm EDT July 26, 2007

http://www.wjactv.com/news/13764332/detail.html

 Worried Sister  Worried Sister is offline
Registered User
        
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 2
Need to clear up any misconceptions.
Joey Offutt is my sister. The family believes that she has been missing days before the fire started. The baby found in the fire was her newborn son. Her other children are being cared for by our family. We are all very worried for her and we fear the worst has happened. Unfortunately, the police are not sharing as much of their investigation with us as we would like. They are researching all avenues, but these things take time. We can only hope that Joey has that time. Any help that the public can give us would be greatly appreciated. We know that someone out there knows what happened that night, please come forward. Let us find closer for our family and her children.

http://tinyurl.com/2e8f4r

This is the first I've seen news about the identity of the baby found in the fire.  It is so sad.  And her other children must wonder about their mother.  Joey's family must be most distraught. 

Family creates Web site for former Va. woman missing since July

Associated Press - August 14, 2007 3:25 PM ET

SYKESVILLE, Pa. (AP) - The family of a missing Pennsylvania woman has created a Web site hoping to bring in tips to her whereabouts.

Thirty-3-year-old Joey Lynn Offutt hasn't been seen since the remains of an infant were found in her burned-out home on July 12th. Offutt previously lived in Warrenton, Virginia.

Offutt's car was found in State College four days later, but her whereabouts and other questions remain.

On the findjoey.org Web site, Offutt's family says they believe the remains are those of the woman's six-week-old son. State police say autopsy results and other tests have yet to confirm the baby's identity or cause of death.

Offutt has two older children who are staying with relatives.

State police have not filed charges in connection with the fire or the remains. They say they want to find Offutt primarily to make sure she's OK.

http://www.findjoey.org/

http://www.wdbj7.com/Global/story.asp?S=6930763&nav=S6aK

For some reason I feel the need to post this info here...not sure why, it could be anyone. Keep in mind we have a few missing from Ohio and transporting a body across state lines is not uncommon...so this may even be one of our Ohio missing...or anyone, for that matter. It is, however very unlikely, if not impossible that these bones are those of anyone from Flight 93 that crashed in Shanksville on 911. Too far away for one thing...anyway>>>

Pittsburgh Tribune Review
December 5, 2007 Wednesday 

Police seeking clues in bones discovery in Sharpsburg
  

Allegheny County police are reviewing missing persons reports as they work to solve the mystery of human bones that were found washed up on the shore of the Allegheny River in Sharpsburg.

The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office has not made determinations regarding the race, gender or height of the person. Fishermen found bones from a leg, including a foot with a tennis shoe attached, near the 62nd Street Bridge on Sunday.

Police searched the river bank but did not find anything else, county police Assistant Superintendent James Morton said.

Anyone with information should contact the medical examiner's office at 412-350-4800 or county homicide detectives at 412-473-1300. 
http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=574&topicId=100020825&docId=l:711479054&start=14

http://www.wjactv.com/news/14926417/detail.html

Joey Lynn Offutt's House To Be Torn Down Soon

December 26, 2007

SYKESVILLE, Pa. -- Back in November, Channel Six News reported that Joey Lynn Offutt's house could be torn down by the end of this year, to make way for a church parking lot.

While it may not be razed by the end of the year, church officials said the house will be coming down soon.

They added that a demolition company will come to tear down the house when the weather cooperates.

In July, fire severely damaged the house and Joey Lynn Offutt disappeared.

While investigating the fire, police found a dead baby in a bathtub.

That baby has never been identified.

Church officials said that very few people in Sykesville knew Offutt, but her disappearance has affected residents.

"They have a lot of questions about what happened," said Father John Mihalco. "But we trust the police are investigating as best as they can."

Oops......should have posted this one first>>

House of Missing Jefferson County Woman To Be Sold

October 16, 2007

SYKESVILLE, Pa. -- Three months ago, Joey Lynn Offutt disappeared after a fire destroyed her Sykesville home.

As police investigated the fire, they found the body of a baby.

The baby has never been identified, and Offutt has never been located.

Now, Offutt's family is taking steps to tear down her damaged home.

Offutt's mother is selling the house to the Holy Trinity Byzantine Catholic Church, located across the street.

The church will use the property as a parking lot.

This story was reported yesterday morning, but did not include Joey's name. When I read that remains were found and matched her description I felt at the time it may be her, but could not understand a NC connection. Anyway....they are now trying to determine if the remains found in PA are Joey's.>>>>>>>
Pennsylvania authorities are investigating whether the skeletal remains of a woman who may have spent time in Raleigh are those of Joey Lynn Offutt of Sykesville, Pa., who went missing after her infant son was killed in a house fire six months ago.
Offutt is 5-foot-3, weighs 110 pounds and has brown hair, a description that resembles that of the body found last week in a patch of woods near Somerset, Pa., in the southwest part of the state. But Pennsylvania police said Saturday they don't know if the remains are of Offutt, who was 33 when she disappeared.

It's not clear how the woman died. Pennsylvania police won't rule out foul play until after a medical examination of the remains.

Pennsylvania authorities alerted Raleigh police and the Wake County Sheriff's Office after they found a prescription medicine bottle from Raleigh among the dead woman's possessions.

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/852545.html

collecting evidence

This is really, really sad.  I hope Joey Lynn Offutt can be found, preferably alive, but it appears that might not be possible.    It's a real shame about the baby  :sad:.  If the house doesn't have any more clues to yield, maybe it's good that it will be torn down and be parking for the church. 

1/2/2008: We are aware that a body matching the description of Joey was found on December 26 in a wooded area in Somerset County, PA. While the description of the woman's body does seem to fit the physical description of Joey, and the estimated timeframe of the woman's death seems to be around the time Joey went missing, there was apparently other items at the scene that do not match up with what we know about Joey. We have not been contacted by the state police and we have been given no indication (other than media speculation) that the remains found belong to Joey. We will continue to monitor the news reports until identification is made. All of Joey's family members continue to hold out hope that Joey will soon be found alive and safe. We all miss her and her children really need her. She has missed her oldest daughter's birthday, her own birthday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Her disappearance has left a hole in our family, and we urge anyone with any information to please contact us.
http://www.findjoey.org/

Update in Missing Person Case

Apr 17, 2008
(Jefferson County) -- An update in a local missing person case. Joey Lynn Offutt's family is now offering a $10,000 reward for any information that will help find her.

Last July investigators found a baby's body in a burned-out in Offutt's Sykesville home. She lived in the home with her children and has been missing since July.

She's 34 years old, 5'3", thin with brown hair and brown eyes.

http://wearecentralpa.com/content/fulltext/?cid=6459

Case #1203

http://www.pacrimestoppers.org/fugitive/1203.htm

HAT TIP Faith @ HFTM

UPDATE (10/11/2008): The family of Joey Lynn Offutt has announced that the reward for information leading to the whereabouts of Joey Lynn Offutt has been increased to $15,000. We are also pleased to report that America's Most Wanted will be featuring Joey's case on an upcoming program set to air in November.

UPDATE (11/6/2008): We are happy to report that America's Most Wanted plans to feature a segment on Joey Lynn Offutt, the single mother missing from Sykesville, PA since July 2007. The air date for the segment is currently set for Saturday, November 15 on FOX. The air date is subject to change, due to late-breaking stories or recent captures.
Joey's family is hopeful that this national exposure will help generate new leads in our search for her.
http://www.findjoey.org/

'Most Wanted' TV show features missing Pa. woman
11/13/2008 05:25:02 AM MST


SYKESVILLE, Pa.—The case of a central Pennsylvania woman missing since the remains of her infant were found in her burned-out home will be featured on the Fox television program, "America's Most Wanted."
Thirty-three-year-old Joey Lynn Offutt hasn't been seen since a fire destroyed her home in Sykesville, Jefferson County, on July 12, 2007. The infant's remains were found in the burned ruins of her home, but were only identified as those of her 6-week-old son earlier this year. It's unclear how the child died.

Offutt's family has previously offered a $15,000 reward for information about her. Her car was later found in State College.

The TV show featuring her case will air Saturday at 9 p.m. EST.

http://**/search/ci_10972949

Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
November 15, 2008 Saturday 
 
Jefferson County mom believes missing daughter is dead

Sherry Hallett believes, deep in her heart, that someone is hiding the truth about her missing daughter.

Someone knows what happened to Joey Lynn Offutt on July 12, 2007, as her Sykesville home burned, leaving the charred remains of her 6-week-old son in the ruins, Hallett insists. Someone had to see the 33-year-old mother, somewhere, before she vanished without a trace.

Although state police report no leads in the case, Hallett hopes investigators will get a break in her daughter's disappearance, which will be featured at 9 tonight on the Fox television program "America's Most Wanted."

"I believe that someone in that little town knows what happened," said Hallett, who lives in Warrenton, Va. "It's taken me more than a year to run it through my mind, but I believe it's somebody that she knew. I believe that she's dead, and I want to bring her back to bury her with her son's ashes.

"Maybe this show will help."

In her pain, Hallett is not alone.

Thousands of adults are reported missing each year, according to the FBI's National Crime Information Center. The center reported that as of Dec. 31, 2007, there were 105,229 active missing persons records -- including an estimated 50,500 adults -- in its files.

Family and friends of missing adults must cope with confusion and uncertainty, according to the National Center for Missing Adults. The Arizona nonprofit estimates 400,000 family members of missing adults are living with the effects of trauma from ambiguous loss.

Founder Kym Pasqualini said each missing person leaves behind "a family that is experiencing unimaginable despair of not knowing" where a loved one is or whether they will see that person again. Experts say the uncertainty grows as time passes.

Police reports show it happens in small towns and big cities, when adults disappear with no explanation.

In Central Pennsylvania, a high-profile case has stumped investigators for three years. Police report no leads in the search for Centre County District Attorney Ray Gricar, 59, of Bellefonte, missing since April 15, 2005.

His friend and successor, District Attorney Michael Madeira, hoped that Kroll Ontrack, a firm that recovered data from hard drives aboard Space Shuttle Columbia when it disintegrated during re-entry in 2003, would find clues on Gricar's computer hard drive. However, the hard drive recovered from the Susquehanna River yielded nothing.

"It remains a source of frustration," Madeira said. "We're at the point now where we're following crazy leads."

Police investigating Offutt's disappearance say they're following several leads, but have discovered nothing to explain why she vanished.

Four days after the fire, Offutt's red Saturn coupe was found abandoned in State College, about 70 miles east of her Jefferson County home. Although investigators learned the fire was set with some type of accelerant, the county coroner could not determine the infant's cause of death.

"As time goes by it's looking more and more grim, but you want to hope that she's OK," said Trooper Bruce Morris, public information officer for Troop C of the Pennsylvania State Police.

"It's as if she fell off the face of the planet."

Hallett, who believes someone killed her daughter, said Offutt struggled in life.

As a 3-year-old, she was traumatized by her parents' divorce. While attending high school in Virginia, she was shy and socially unsure, with a sweet, almost childlike innocence, her mother said.

She studied journalism for a year at Shepherd University in West Virginia, but left after earning poor grades. She had trouble holding jobs, maintaining relationships and establishing roots; she preferred playing in the park with her daughters to housework.

In 1994, Offutt married and moved to Texas, but within two years she ended what her mother called a "volatile relationship" and returned to Virginia. She was unmarried when she gave birth to her children.

Offutt moved often, spending time in State College, Philadelphia and in Virginia with her mother. Then, Hallett bought the blue vinyl-sided home in Sykesville, a quiet borough of 1,100 people employed in metal manufacturing and other blue-collar jobs.

"The whole idea for the house was to give Joey a centerpoint, some stability," Hallett said.

Hallett said Offutt was a good mother to her two daughters, then 2 and 9, who were staying with relatives when the fire happened. She was planning to marry the father of her infant son, a baby named Alexis.

"She was happy there and loved her children. She never would have hurt her baby and she wouldn't have left her daughters," said Hallett, who is offering $15,000 for information that leads to her daughter's whereabouts.

Hallett said it appeared as though authorities at first blamed Offutt for the baby's death and for setting the fire.

Offutt's nephew, Jason Hungerford of Ithaca, N.Y., said his aunt's purse was found in her house after the fire. That, and the way her abandoned car was parked, led him to discount theories that she left willingly.

"She was a bad driver. That car was backed into a parking place perfectly. It stood out to me because that's something she'd never do," Hungerford said.

Looking back, Morris said police explored all options.

"This case is definitely unique," Morris said. "Usually there is some trail to follow. We're still working on it, still following different leads, but there is nothing new at all."

Law enforcement officials concede that missing adults often fall through the cracks. Many times, it is up to relatives to submit a missing person's picture and information to search organizations and Internet sites.

There is no comprehensive list of missing adults because cases fall under various law enforcement jurisdictions, according to FBI Special Agent Bill Crowley in Pittsburgh. He said the FBI focuses on missing adult fugitives and kidnapped and missing children.

Crowley said cases involving children get more attention from law enforcement authorities because they are more vulnerable.

He said many adults disappear because they are dissatisfied with their lives and want to start anew; others are cases of suicide. For those reasons, law enforcement authorities with tight budgets are reluctant to stretch thin resources, he said.

"Unless there's a crime committed, we don't get involved with missing adults," Crowley said. "We've had cases before where a guy goes missing and has a wife and three kids at home worried sick, and we find out he's living in Vegas."

Morris said it is possible that Offutt could be "alive and well, living somewhere," but no one has reported seeing her and her financial accounts haven't been used. She has not tried to contact her family.

Morris said police are open to other scenarios, such as that she committed suicide or that someone hurt her. The case will be revisited every 60 days, he said.

"There's no doubt in my mind that somebody knows something or has seen something and discounted it," Morris said. "There's something out there that could bring this to a conclusion." 
http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=574&topicId=100020825&docId=l:884892594&start=6

The Mysterious Disappearance of Joey Lynn Offut


(http://i439.photobucket.com/albums/qq117/Wyks_/Offutt.gif)


December 22, 2008

In this week's edition of "The Missing," we revisit the mysterious disappearance of Joey Offutt, a 33-year-old resident of Pennsylvania, who went missing in July 2007.

On July 12, 2007, firefighters were summoned to Joey Lynn Offutt's Sykesville, Pennsylvania home. Unfortunately, the fire gutted the entire house before the fire department could get the blaze under control.

During a walkthrough of the burned-out structure, firefighters and police discovered the body of a young infant inside a bathroom. Investigators were able to determine that the infant was alone inside the house when the fire started. Subsequent DNA testing identified the infant as Joey's son, Alexis "Lex" Alfred Brolin III. Joey was nowhere to be found, and it was soon discovered that her two daughters, ages two and nine, had been staying with family members.

During a subsequent search of Joey's burned out house, investigators found her purse and identification. Other items found inside the house suggested that Joey had not been there since July 5, roughly one week before the house burned to the ground.

Joey's disappearance remains a mystery to her family and friends, who claim she would have never left her children and vanish voluntarily. The mystery further deepened on July 16, when police found Joey's red Saturn coupe abandoned outside an apartment building near Penn State College. Investigators questioned residents of the apartment complex, but none of them had any information about Joey or how her car came to be parked in front of the building.

In an effort to assist investigators in the search for Joey, her family created the Web site FindJoey.org in an effort to publicize the case on a national level. Since the site's incorporation, some tips have been received, but to date none have panned out.

Joey's own Internet usage has shed some light on her life, which may or may not be relevant to her disappearance.

Joey Lynn OffutAccording to the information in an Internet profile Joey maintained, she was involved in a "long-term relationship." Under the "Latest News" section, she wrote about her love life and her newborn child.

Joey was also a member of an Internet group devoted to single mothers. From February 2005 to July 2007 she made 525 posts to the group. Many of her early posts discussed the rocky nature of her relationship with her boyfriend. In a March 2005 post, she talked about getting a protection from abuse (PFA) order against him. In subsequent posts, she alluded to the fact that there was some danger of physical harm for both her and her kids. She also discussed the fact that she was pregnant.

The following month, she wrote that her daughter had been born on May 10, 2005. She continued to posts over the next several months, and then in January 2006, she again posted about problems she was having with her boyfriend. She alleged that his son had sexually assaulted her 5-year-old daughter and that as a result, her daughter had been removed from her home, and she had to fight to get her back.

By March 2007, Joey's posts were a little more optimistic. She said she was working through the problems she had been having with her boyfriend and although she was not ready to completely trust him, she was hopeful that they could work things out because they were going to be having another child together, a boy this time. The following month, Joey wrote that her boyfriend was a former drug addict and felon, but that having children had changed him.

Joey posted again in May 2007. Again, she appeared optimistic that the relationship had taken a turn for the better and that her boyfriend was going to propose to her. Joey's last post to the group was made on June 5, 2007. In it she wrote about the birth of her son, Lex, and promised to post pictures of him in the near future. Unfortunately, that was the last time Joey Lynn Offutt was seen either online or off.

Joey's boyfriend has been questioned by the police, but has not been named a suspect or person of interest in the case. Authorities say he has been cooperative with the investigation.

Police thought they got a solid break on December 26, 2007, when a body matching Joey's description was found in Somerset County; however, is has since been determined that the victim was not Joey.

In November and December 2008, "America's Most Wanted" aired two small segments about Joey's disappearance. Following each broadcast police received several tips about possible sightings; however none of them have turned up any new information.

Joey Lynn Offutt is described as a white female, 5'3" tall, 110 lbs., with brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information is asked to call the Pennsylvania State Police at 814-371-4652, Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers at 1-800-4PA-TIPS ($2,000 reward for information) or the Find Joey Tip Line ($15,000 reward for information) at 1-877-440-JOEY (1-877-440-5639).

http://blogs.discovery.com/criminal_report/2008/12/the-missing---1.html#more (http://blogs.discovery.com/criminal_report/2008/12/the-missing---1.html#more)

What makes this case even more mysterious to me is what has been reported about the baby. 

In the above article, these two things stand out for me:

"investigators were able to determine that the infant was alone inside the house when the fire started."

and

"Other items found inside the house suggested that Joey had not been there since July 5, roughly one week before the house burned to the ground."

So putting these two things together, one might suppose that the baby *could have been* alone inside the house for about a week before the fire occured?  Am wondering if that means the baby was dead in the house alone for that week, or if he had been alive and alone that whole time and died in the fire?  In either case, someone came back and burned that house down, with the baby inside.   ::MonkeyNoNo::

Another thing that makes me wonder, given the boyfriends possible history (at least according to Joey as posted online over a period of time), why is he not a 'person of interest'.  Does Joey's family and friends feel the same way?  I wonder tons of things about him. 

Unfortunately, we may never know anymore than we do right now.  And that's frustrating.  I cannot even begin to imagine how Joey's family feels.   ::MonkeyNoNo::

I have skeletal remains 20 miles s/w of the burned home of Joey. Not much info given yet on the human remains. I'll keep you posted. I know there are a lot of 'missing' in PA, but this is so close.
http://www.tribune-democrat.com/local/local_story_365081822.html
NEW – Skeletal remains found in Indiana County

MAP
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=MARCHANd%20pa&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl

more>
http://www.indianagazette.com/articles/2008/12/30/news/indiana_county/10008397.txt

Officials hope to match remains with other info     

Saturday, 03 January 2009 

INDIANA — Work is underway to identify skeletal remains found last week in North Mahoning Township, Indiana County, but the coroner said he feels confident that there is enough information to identify the person. Punxsutawney-based Pennsylvania State Police reported that skeletal remains were found around 10 a.m. Monday in North Mahoning Township.

Friday, Indiana County Coroner Michael Baker said the remains were found by a person walking in the woods in the Marchand area. The person noticed a portion of one of the bones protruding through the ground, he said.

Baker explained that the first thing investigators must establish is the age, sex and stature of the person, and then compare that information with records of any missing persons in the area.

“That would be the next thing we would do to see if we come up with a match on that,” he said.

If investigators have some idea who the person is, they can use DNA or dental records to solidify their theories.

However, even with the information they learn from DNA or dental records, investigators must have something to which to compare it.

Based on initial information, Baker said he feels confident that investigators can learn who the person is.

“I think we have a good amount to make a good start on that,” he said.

Learning the identity of the person could take several weeks, Baker said.

In addition to Baker and PSP-Punxsutawney, a forensic anthropologist from Mercyhurst College in Erie is investigating. 
Last Updated ( Monday, 05 January 2009 ) 
  http://www.punxsutawneyspirit.com/index2.php?page=0&id=164026&task=view&option=com_content

Not Joey.
Investigators say they believe skeletal remains found in southwestern Pennsylvania are those of a black woman who was shot and dismembered three to 10 years ago. They think she was 30 to 40 years old.
http://www.centredaily.com/news/breaking_news/story/1067368.html

Not Joey... But I wonder who the woman found is.  Shot and dismembered.  Very, very sad.  I hope the authorities can find out who she is.  Someone must be missing her somewhere.  I hope she can be laid to rest with her identity  known. 

I'm working on it ;)

http://www.findjoey.org/


UPDATE (7/10/11): Four years ago, in the early morning of July 12, 2007, authorities responded to a fire at Joey Lynn Offutt's Sykesville, PA home. After the fire was extinguished, the remains of Offutt's six-week-old son were discovered, but Offutt and her car, a red Saturn with Virginia license plates, were missing. Police found Offutt's car four days later in State College, PA, parked at the Nittany Gardens apartment complex, where Offutt had previously lived.

Offutt's other two children, who were not in the home at the time of the fire, have been living with family members.

In the four years since Offutt has been missing, there have been no substantial leads in the case. Offutt's family believes Joey would not willingly leave her children, and they fear someone killed her and then tried to destroy evidence by burning the house down.

Offutt's family has increased the reward being offered for information on the whereabouts of Joey to $25,000.

At the time she went missing, Joey Lynn Offutt was 33 years old and is described as a petite woman, approximately 5' 3" with a thin build. She has brown eyes and brown/red brown hair. She may or may not have been wearing glasses.

Offutt's family has established a toll-free number to field tips from the public. Anyone with information is urged to call 1-877-440-JOEY (1-877-440-5639) or to contact the Pennsylvania State Police at 814 371-4652.

The family also runs this website to help bring public attention to the case. Visit FindJoey.org for additional information or to contact Offutt's family with information.

Thanks Muffy. This is indeed a 'someone she knew' case. I agree with the family that she was killed in the house.