Teala Patricia Thompson

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Pennsylvania State Police (PA)

Offense Location:

Homewood, Pennsylvania

Summary:

Teala Thompson disappeared in Homewood, Pennsylvania after school in 1967. Two weeks later, her body was found in a landfill but no identification was made at the time. 48 long years would pass until DNA confirmed her identity. Sadly, her murder remains unsolved.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

Teala was last seen in Homewood, Pennsylvania on September 10th 1967. She was last known to be at Westinghouse High School in the 1100 of North Murtland Street where she was an eighth grade student. Teala never returned home and was never seen or heard from again. Teala was initially believed to be a runaway but no one she knew ever saw or heard from her again. Thompson was the eldest of ten siblings and Teala lived with her family at 7141 Forrest Way.

Additional Details:

On September 19th 1967, the badly decomposed body of a young girl was found on Story Road near the Colvan Sanitary Landfill about an 1/8 of a mile off Route 66. She was naked aside from a single white sock on her right foot. The victim was described as being a multiracial female with reddish brown hair. She was approximately 10-14 years old when she died. The girl stood at approximately 5’5” and weighed 115 pounds. Due to animal and insect activity, the body was unrecognizable and no identification could be made at the time. For years following the murder, the victim was buried in the potters field on the grounds of the Westmoreland County Home, just south of Greensburg. In 2015, the body was exhumed to get DNA samples. A facial reconstruction of the skull was created and distributed which led to Teala’s living relatives recognizing her. They contacted police and submitted DNA samples which led to her identification on August 6th 2016. No cause of death could be determined but investigators consider Teala’s death as a homicide. No suspects were ever arrested for her murder but Thompson’s family suspect a man she worked for at a local dry cleaners was responsible for the murder. The man has never been identified or located. The investigation into Teala’s murder remains active but remains unsolved as of 2025.

Case Last Updated:

Nov 11, 2025