Dolores Della Penna (December 13, 1954 – July 12, 1972) was a school girl from Philadelphia who was tortured, murdered by dismemberment, and beheaded in the Kensington neighborhood in July, 1972. Disappearance Shortly before midnight on July 11, 1972, Della Penna was abducted from her home in Philadelphia. Witnesses later informed the police that they had seen her beaten and dragged, while she was unconscious, into a car. Della Penna's torso and arms were later located in Jackson Township, New Jersey. Her legs were found in adjacent Manchester Township, New Jersey. Her head was never recovered and her murder remains unsolved. Investigation and aftermath Her fingertips had been severed from her hands to prevent the police from identifying her. Their reports state that Della Penna was killed by drug dealers who thought that her boyfriend had stolen drugs from them. The crime remains unsolved, and is hotly debated online. See also Crime in Philadelphia List of murdered American children List of solved missing person cases List of unsolved murders References External links Gory Killing Of '72 Solved, Sources Say Arrests Sought In Case That Obsessed Police, The Philadelphia Inquirer (July 10, 1996) Gruesome killing remains unsolved, The Philadelphia Inquirer (April 13, 2003) 1970s in Philadelphia 1970s missing person cases 1972 murders in the United States American torture victims Crimes in Philadelphia Deaths by person in Pennsylvania Female murder victims Formerly missing people History of women in Pennsylvania Incidents of violence against girls July 1972 events in the United States July 1972 crimes Kensington, Philadelphia Missing person cases in Pennsylvania Murdered American children People murdered in Pennsylvania Rapes in the United States Unsolved murders in the United States