MURDER
CASE #: 1984-19
Jessica Lee Sterling Hatch
Status:
Open
Date of Offense:
Date of Offense:
Jurisdiction:
Offense Location:
Richmond, Virginia
Summary:
Jessica Hatch was apparently abducted while walking between her residence and her grandmother’s home in Richmond, Virginia during the winter of 1984. Nearly three months passed before her skeletal remains were discovered in a remote wooded area in Hanover County, Virginia. Police suspect she was murdered but no arrests have been made.
Vital Statistics
Circumstances of Offense:
Jessica Hatch was last seen in Richmond, Virginia on February 5th 1984. She left her family’s home located at 3208 Hanover Avenue just before 6:00 pm to walk the ten blocks to her grandmother’s house located in the 2900 block of West Grace Street. Jessica called her grandmother's house before leaving her home, her uncle answered the phone and Jessica told him she’d be there in a few minutes. However, Jessica never arrived at her grandmother’s house and failed to return home that evening. Police suspect she was abducted by someone somewhere along her path. Despite extensive searches and a reward being offered, no trace of Jessica was found for over two months.
Additional Details:
On April 12th 1984, the partial skeletal remains of a young girl were discovered in rural Hanover County, Virginia. The body had apparently been left in a wooded area along Route 721 which is now known as Watkins Road. The area was approximately one-half mile north of Dogwood Trail Road in Rockville, Virginia. Someone who lived in a mobile home had dogs who dragged the remains out of the woods and scattered them all over the yard. They were found by a resident at 1:00 pm. Five days later, the remains were positively identified as belonging to Jessica Hatch. Police believe she was abducted and murdered on the day she went missing. The location she was found in was 12 miles away from where she had been taken. A suspect was identified early on but due to lack of evidence, no charges were filed in connection with her death. To date, Jessica’s murder remains unsolved.
Case Last Updated:
Case Content Disclaimer: The details on this case page are sourced from numerous locations to include family, friends, news postings and government public releases. Solve the Case, Inc. does not guarantee the accuracy of any content as case pages are living documents that frequently update as case details expand.
