Police: DNA advancements could help solve Mamaroneck cold case

Nearly 13 years ago, a beachgoer made a grisly discovery in a suitcase that had washed ashore.

News 12 Staff

Feb 7, 2020, 10:54 PM

Updated 1,631 days ago

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A cold case has led village of Mamaroneck Police Detective Sgt. Mark Gatta back to the beach at Harbor Island Park.
Nearly 13 years ago, a beachgoer made a grisly discovery in a suitcase that had washed ashore.
"Child poking around it with a stick, opened it up and observed what was part of a female," says Gatta.
Investigators say the decomposed torso was likely that of Hispanic or light-skinned black woman between 35 to 50 years old.
A tattoo of two cherries on a stem was found on the body. That led investigators to name the murder mystery the "Cherries Doe" case.
Police thought the tattoo would be their best lead to identify the woman, but nothing panned out.
Now police are hoping advancements in DNA technology will help them identify the victim, should a family member come forward.
"If they gave their DNA, we can check that against Cherries', and see that it is indeed the relation, and if we can do that, then we have a chance in identifying her," says Gatta
Nearly three weeks after the woman's torso washed up in a suitcase at the beach, another gruesome discovery was made in the case -- this time on Long Island. A dismembered woman's foot washed ashore in Cold Spring Harbor.
A couple days later, another foot washed up on Oyster Bay Beach on property owned by former Cablevision President Charles Dolan.
Mamaroneck police say the feet that washed ashore on Long Island indeed belonged to Cherries Doe.


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