Sheriff Confirms Identity of Bones Found in Patterson
Dental records have confirmed that the human remains found recently in Patterson belong to Laelcira DeLima, 45, of Danbury, who went missing in 2017, according to Putnam County Sheriff Robert Langley Jr.
At about 11:30 a.m. Feb. 1, deputies were dispatched to the Putnam Diner on Route 22 in Patterson after it was reported that a human skull had been found in the woods behind the diner.
When deputies arrived, a 35-year-old Carmel man informed them that he was walking through the woods when he saw what he believed to be a human skull, and that he immediately called 911 and waited for the deputies to arrive.
Additional members of the sheriff’s department responded, including investigators from the Forensic ID Unit. With the assistance of New York State Police, deputies canvassed the area and recovered additional human bones, a sneaker and other articles of clothing, said Langley.
DeLima was last seen Oct. 20, 2017 leaving her residence in her 2016 Honda Accord. On Nov. 7, 2017, her vehicle was found, seemingly abandoned, in front of the Putnam Diner.
The cause of death is still under investigation.
