Woman Murdered in 1977 Identified as Wife of Former Police Officer Who Never Reported Her Missing

In June of 1977, as dusk fell over Townsend, Delaware, a teenage boy cycling through the area stumbled upon a woman’s body in a drainage ditch. With no identification on the remains, law enforcement struggled to determine her identity. Despite dental records and a description — a woman approximately 5 feet 3 inches tall, with dark blonde hair and estimated to be between 40 and 55 years old — there were no matches in missing persons reports. It was clear to investigators that this woman had been murdered, but the case quickly grew cold due to the lack of leads.

Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, a young man returned home from boarding school to find his mother missing. When he inquired about her whereabouts, his father, a former police officer, claimed she had “just packed her things and left.” However, the son noted that she had left behind many of her personal belongings.

Breakthrough After Decades: DNA Evidence Unravels the Mystery

In 2008, DNA from the unidentified woman was submitted to CODIS, the national DNA database, but yielded no results. However, in February 2017, detectives in New Castle County learned about Parabon Nanolabs, a company in Virginia specializing in DNA phenotyping, which predicts ancestry and physical traits from DNA samples. They submitted the DNA profile to Parabon, resulting in a sketch and a digital image of the deceased woman. Further efforts included linking her genetic information to ancestry databases to build a family tree.

In 2019, Officer Tom Rivers, who specializes in cold cases, joined the investigation. He meticulously examined potential family trees and collected DNA samples from possible relatives, which were then entered into CODIS. Finally, after more than four decades, they confirmed that the body belonged to Marie Heiser, who was 50 years old at the time of her murder.

Suspicion Surrounds the Husband’s Silence

The lack of a missing person report from William Heiser, Sr., a former Philadelphia police officer, raises eyebrows. Even if Marie had left voluntarily, her sudden disappearance without any communication to her children is troubling. Adding to the suspicion, in December of 1977, William sold their family home and relocated to South Daytona Beach, Florida, behavior inconsistent with a man hoping for his wife’s return.

William Heiser, Sr. passed away in 2006, leaving unanswered questions. However, his children defended his character, with William Heiser Jr. asserting that his father would never harm anyone. “He was a good man — took care of his family and never raised his voice,” he stated.

The Complexity of Domestic Violence in Law Enforcement Families

While the truth about William Heiser, Sr.’s involvement may never be revealed, statistics indicate that domestic violence is alarmingly prevalent in families with law enforcement officers. Research suggests that the rates of domestic violence in such households can be as high as 40%, significantly above the national average. Victims often face unique challenges, as the abuser’s role as an officer complicates their ability to seek help. They may fear reporting abuse to colleagues of their abuser, resulting in inadequate investigations.

As of now, law enforcement has not identified a person of interest in Marie Heiser’s murder, and the investigation continues.

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In summary, the tragic case of Marie Heiser illustrates the complexities surrounding domestic relationships, especially in families connected to law enforcement. Even as new DNA technology sheds light on her murder, many questions remain unanswered about her husband’s actions and the circumstances leading to her disappearance.