Home / Crime and Justice / Wilmington Park Bones Identified After 15 Years
Wilmington Park Bones Identified After 15 Years
6 Sep
Summary
- Skeletal remains in Wilmington park identified as woman dead since 1907.
- DNA match solved the 15-year mystery of remains found in Sellers Park.
- Case linked to a 2002 desecration of a mausoleum at Riverview Cemetery.
Skeletal remains unearthed in Wilmington, Delaware's Sellers Park in 2011 have finally been identified as Hannah Graham Kleitz, a woman who passed away in 1907. The discovery of the remains, including a skull, initially baffled investigators who could not link them to any known databases, despite determining they belonged to a white female between 25 and 50 years old.
The New Castle County Police Cold Case Squad revived the investigation in 2019, utilizing a forensic artist for facial reconstruction and employing investigative genealogy. This advanced approach led to a potential family connection being identified in January 2026.
Detectives were informed by a relative about Kleitz, whose mausoleum and grave at Riverview Cemetery had been desecrated in 2002, with reports detailing smashed coffins and stolen remains. Investigators then exhumed the gravesite, and DNA comparisons confirmed the remains found in Sellers Park matched Kleitz's. This pivotal match brought closure to a decades-old grave robbery case.
On August 27, 2026, Kleitz's remains were respectfully returned to her mausoleum in Riverview Cemetery, with her family and investigators present. No arrests or suspects have been reported in connection with the 2002 grave desecration incident.
