New Hampshire investigators reopen 1968 cold case strangulation death of 15-year-old girl
06/12/2025 11:53 am PDT
CHARLESTOWN, N.H. (TCN) -- Investigators are revisiting the cold case of a teen girl found dead on a road nearly 57 years ago.
According to New Hampshire State Police, on the morning of June 11, 1968, 15-year-old Joanne Dunham walked from her home to catch her school bus but never made it. Her body was reportedly found the following day on a roped-off dirt road in Unity, which was around 5.5 miles from where she was last seen.
An autopsy revealed Dunham died of asphyxiation.
According to the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, investigators recently reopened the cold case and are "re-examining evidence, conducting new interviews, and pursuing additional leads in an effort to bring answers to Joanne’s family and justice to her case."
New Hampshire Department of Justice Deputy Chief Investigator Todd Flanagan reportedly visited Dunham’s gravesite, which remained unmarked. With help from Perry Brothers Monument Company and St. Mary’s Cemetery in Claremont, her headstone was completed and marked.
In a statement, Flanagan said, "These investigations are not just mechanical exercises — they are commitments of the heart. This case is not just about solving a crime. It’s about standing with Joanne’s family and honoring her memory. She was only 15 years old."
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