TOWN OF SOUTHEAST – Contractors clearing land for a development in Southeast came upon a human skeleton that is now undergoing DNA testing in an attempt to determine its identity.
The discovery was made April 16 in a remote area bordering Ice Pond Road and Tommy Thurber Lane.
State Police Troop K Public Information Officer Trooper A.J. Hicks said the crew notified State Police when the skeleton was unearthed and the remains were taken to Putnam Hospital Center.
Although nothing is definitive, there is widespread speculation among local law enforcement that the remains may be those of Robin Murphy, a 17-year-old Carmel girl who disappeared without a trace on the evening of April 9, 1995 after being last seen at the Shop-Rite Plaza on Route 52 at the Carmel-Kent line.
She was planning to meet her boyfriend, who worked at the nearby Burger King, but never did. Her mother’s car was found in the parking lot and Robin’s wallet and keys were found a few days later in a grassy area behind the shopping center.
On numerous occasions over the years, police searched the area of Ice Pond Road on foot, from the air and with dogs for clues that may have led to Murphy’s discovery without success. Police even scoured the Tilly Foster Mine for the young girl.
Hicks stressed the skeleton and the connection to Murphy’s disappearance was only speculation at this time. “Once DNA is extracted and matched, we will be able to identify the remains,” he said.
