Discovery of a dismembered body requires a high alert by hikers and visitors of the Park in which the body was found.
This should not be misconstrued to mean that a murder took place on this Park, or that those involved are still in the area, but a measure of caution should be taken by all who visit this area. There is always the possibility that the dismembered body is a result of wildlife, but Missing NPF has decided to encourage visitors to stay on high alert until evidence is supplied verifying that the dismemberment was exclusively limited to wildlife. Missing NPF also encourages law enforcement entities to do the same, as assumption should never be issued as fact; where the fact is uncertainty, public safety officials should encourage those visiting areas where dismembered bodies are discovered to engage more thoughtfully.
We will update this entry each time we perform a routine review, or evidence is released to the general public.
According to The Washington Post, The first thing spotted by the hikers was a red Nike sneaker. Inside was a foot bone. Sixty yards away, a skeleton. Now, the FBI is seeking to identify the person whose body was found in the woods of Catoctin Mountain Park, north of Frederick, Md. “It’s sad. It’s disheartening,” Richard Ruggieri, a supervisory special agent in the FBI’s Baltimore office, said Wednesday. “This person has a story to tell. First, we need to figure out who it is to tell the story.” Ruggieri said clothing and other items at the scene indicate the person was a woman. Other clues indicate something nefarious happened to her. “That’s just my gut. That’s my team’s gut,” Ruggieri said. Saturday afternoon, June 12, 2021, hikers noticed the shoe while walking through Catoctin Mountain Park, which is part of the National Park Service near Camp David. They called park officials, Ruggieri said. The FBI’s Evidence Response Team, along with agents from the Baltimore field office, were called to the scene. They found the skeletal remains about 60 yards from the shoe while working the area into Sunday morning, June 13, 2021, Ruggieri said. The remains were bare of any tissue. They were mostly intact, other than a missing hand and missing foot — the one that was not found in the shoe, authorities said. “One of the hands we cannot account for, along with one of the feet,” Ruggieri said. Found atop the skeleton, officials said, was a black track suit. The remains could have been in the woods anywhere from one to six months, Ruggieri said. But given the lightweight fabric of the suit, it probably was relatively warm outside when it was worn, and Ruggieri estimates the remains had been in the woods closer to two months. Found near the body was a Puma handbag. The purse contained a set of keys that had an El Salvador keychain, a blue turtle, a pendant spelling out the word “Love” and what appears to be a glitter-covered canister of protective spray. The person had long, dark hair with braids, officials said. Forensic doctors at the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner continue to analyze the remains. Among the questions they will try to answer is whether there are signs of trauma, including at the ankle and wrist areas. Ruggieri said agents remain open-minded as to what happened to the person, including a suicide or some kind of medical event. The dismembered foot could have been the result of animal activity, according to the agent. “Everything is on the table,” Ruggieri said. He said his suspicions of a nefarious ending are tied to the lack of an abandoned car found in the area, as well as no reports of missing hikers or missing people in the area that lined up with the body. The FBI said that anyone with information can call 800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or submit a tip online attips.fbi.gov.
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Personal Characteristics
Female
21 years old
Investigative Overview
Foul Play Suspected: Yes
Suspected Suicide: Unknown / Undisclosed
Cause of Death: Undetermined / Unreleased
Significant Dates
Found on June 12, 2021 - 842 days, 21 hours, 24 minutes ago
This case file was posted on
Jun 16, 2021 at 15:32
This case file was last modified on
Jul 25, 2021 at 18:45
This case file has been assigned the Missing Persons ID 4765
Disclaimer
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Missing NPF lists “Foul Play Suspected,” “Suspected Suicide,” “Cause of Death,” and other elements of data in association with public reporting. These settings do not reflect the opinions of Missing NPF and/or its staff. Unless explicitly noted, Missing NPF does not publicize opinion, nor are any of the initial reports written – or edited – by members of Missing NPF. All content (with the exception of “IMPORTANT” notices, listed toward the top of applicable case files) are the works of external persons, sources and/or entities. All pictures displayed on this case file have been downloaded from the public domain, unless a user has commented or otherwise transmitted a picture to Missing NPF or its social media accounts. Case updates are derived from external persons, sources, and/or entities, and do not reflect the internal work of Missing NPF, unless expressly noted.
Judaea Rojo
July 25, 2021 at 6:47 pmRemains of a woman found in Catoctin Mountain Park have been identified as Joanna Michelle Amaya. The FBI is seeking information from the public. More here: https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/seeking-info/joanna-michelle-amaya