Donna Cote: murdered May 1979 in Middlesex Borough, NJ near Piscataway Twp, NJ border

[Chris M]

Donna Cote, 18
1979 May 19 Piscataway, Middlesex County, NJ.

Cause of death: manual strangulation

Forensic characteristics: abducted and killed near home - found face down in water in ditch - overalls pulled down to ankles - shirt pulled up - multiple scratch marks on breasts and legs - bruise behind left ear - water in lungs - Friday/Saturday night

At 1:30 a.m. the victim spoke on the telephone from her home at 647 Drake Ave in Middlesex and told her friend that she was going out for a walk. She was home alone at the time. She was found at 10 a.m. in a ditch by a heavily forested area off 98 Mountain Road across from McNeil Park (Irishtown Park today) about a half mile from her home.

 

[BrianC]

Donna Cote, 18
1979 May 19 Piscataway, Middlesex County, NJ.

Cause of death: manual strangulation

Forensic characteristics: abducted and killed near home - found face down in water in ditch - overalls pulled down to ankles - shirt pulled up - multiple scratch marks on breasts and legs - bruise behind left ear - water in lungs - Friday/Saturday night

At 1:30 a.m. the victim spoke on the telephone from her home at 647 Drake Ave in Middlesex and told her friend that she was going out for a walk. She was home alone at the time. She was found at 10 a.m. in a ditch by a heavily forested area off 98 Mountain Road across from McNeil Park (Irishtown Park today) about a half mile from her home.

Donna was my aunt. I was surprised to find that people still know about her and what happened. This gives me hope that possibly one day we will get more answers. Thank you

 

[Chris M]

Donna was my aunt. I was surprised to find that people still know about her and what happened. This gives me hope that possibly one day we will get more answers. Thank you

Your welcome. Sometimes I go by the park where she was unfortunately killed.

 

[I am not Sherlock H.]

Happened across this thread today. It might already be included in part, IIUC there is a Monday, May 21, 1979 article by Joe Cantlupe and Reginald Kavanaugh on page 3 in The Central New Jersey Home News - New Brunswick, New Jersey newspaper.

The article is entitled “Middlesex Murder Victim - Teen put up a fight for life - and has a few details on this case.

I will attempt to include a link, but it might be a paywall article and I do not have a subscription. It appears she was discovered on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. IIUC that was May 19, 1979. MOO

1979 05 21 Donna Cote

Clipping found in The Central New Jersey Home News published in New Brunswick, New Jersey on 5/21/1979. 1979 05 21 Donna Cote

www.newspapers.com