Judith Lynn Petty

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Wood County Sheriffs Department (WV)

Death Location:

Waverly, WV

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Summary:

Judith "Judy" Petty , 48, disappeared on Wednesday, February 6, 2008 while out walking near the towns of Parkersburg and Waverly, WV. Her burnt remains were found three days later in the cellar of an outbuilding on her family's farm, approximately 13 miles from where she was last seen.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Death:

Judith "Judy" Petty left her residence located at 2010 46th St, Parkersburg, WV in the afternoon hours of Wednesday, February 6, 2008. She reportedly walked to the nearby Parkersburg & Wood County Library, located at 3100 Emerson Avenue, Parkersburg, WV to return some movies. The movies were returned, but there was no video showing who returned them. Judy had taken her purse with her, but not a cell phone. Judy disappeared that afternoon and her family began driving around town looking for her, to no avail. She was reported missing to law enforcement later that night, but official searches did not begin until the next day. At sunup, Judy's family continued searching. Her father drove out to their family farm, located along Deerwalk Highway (Rte 50), approximately 13 miles from Petty's residence. He parked at the bottom of the long, muddy driveway and walked uphill. As he approached the house and other structures on the property, he found them engulfed in flames. He ran back down the driveway to a neighbor's home to call the fire department. The fire department responded, but was unable to navigate most of their trucks up the muddy, slick and rutted driveway. As a result, the fire was allowed to burn out on it's own. Judy's family suspected her disappearance and the fire were related. Authorities brought out cadaver dogs and conducted searches all over the property. A couple days later, after the heat from the fire had dissipated, the cellar of an outbuilding was searched. Bones were discovered and were later identified as Judy's remains. A portion of her liver was the only soft tissue remaining. It was tested for the presence of alcohol and other drugs. The toxicology was negative aside from a normal amount of an anti-depressant Judy had been prescribed. The toxicology also determined that Judy had died prior to the fire, as there was no evidence of thermal gases or other fire evidence in her bloodstream. Both her cause and manner of death are listed as undetermined, however authorities believe the most likely manner of death is homicide. The cause and origin of the fire are also listed as undetermined.

Additional Details:

It was not uncommon for Judy to walk around town. She often did so because she was battling Type II Diabetes and wanted the exercise. Judy lived with her grandmother and was essentially her grandmother's caretaker. She had never been married and did not have any children.

Case Last Updated:

Jan 09, 2025