A woman whose body was found in Volusia County, Florida in 1980 has finally been identified, and investigators believe her death is linked to a notorious serial killer.
The victim, known as “Jane Doe” for over four decades, was discovered by a road crew off a freeway on November 5, 1980. Despite extensive efforts, her identity remained a mystery until recently.
In 2023, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office partnered with genetic genealogy company FHD Forensics and the non-profit Genealogy for Justice to re-examine the case. Using advanced DNA analysis and familial DNA comparisons, they were able to identify the victim as Pamela Wittman, born in Indiana in 1954.
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Further investigation led detectives to believe that Wittman was likely murdered by serial killer Gerald Stano in February 1980. Stano, who confessed to killing numerous women in the Daytona Beach area around the same time, had even claimed responsibility for Wittman’s death. Although convicted of multiple murders, he was never charged in Wittman’s case.
Stano was executed in Florida in 1998 after receiving multiple life sentences and death sentences. Investigators believe he may be responsible for the deaths of dozens more women and girls across several states.
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“After all these years, finally this family can answer the question of what happened to their loved one,” Volusia Sheriff Chitwood said of the closure of the case. “While this isn’t the news any family hopes to hear, I’m grateful for everyone who worked so hard to make sure we found the truth and gave Pamela a proper memorial.”
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