Polly Penwell was convinced that the Michelle Garvey who disappeared from Connecticut was the same person as the girl found murdered in a Texas field, according to Northern Express, especially after she saw a photo of Garvey and that of the unidentified remains. So she contacted the Harris County Medical Examiner’s office to relay her discovery. Shortly after, the cold case was finally solved. However, Penwell did not receive credit.
Instead, a press release said the connection was finally made because of a DNA match, as MassLive reported. The official story was that the Harris County, Texas Institute of Forensic Science had exhumed Garvey’s body in an effort to collect DNA samples, which led to a match through the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System databank.
But Penwell has confirmation that her tip helped, according to Northern Express. She saved an email from Sharon Derrick, a forensic anthropologist with the Harris County Institute of Forensic Science. “You were right on with your suggestion,” Derrick wrote.
Penwell said that it hurt not to receive credit for solving the case. “As a human being, I have to admit, I’ve been a failure my whole life. As far as society is concerned, that’s the way people see me,” she told Northern Express. “I feel guilty about it, but I do – I wish I would have gotten some validation.”
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