Pennsylvania State Police seek additional information on murder of Evelyn Colon

Amanda Christman, Standard-Speaker, Hazleton, Pa.
·4 min read

Apr. 7—Despite a recent arrest, Pennsylvania State Police want to collect more information on the brutal murder of Evelyn Colon 44 years ago.

Troopers and Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers introduced a tip line to amass that information. Anyone with insight is asked to call 800-4PA-TIPS (800-472-8477) and reference media release No. 1956.

It was Dec. 20, 1976, when troopers began investigating human remains found on the banks of the Lehigh River in East Side borough, Carbon County, near White Haven in Luzerne County. The remains belonged to a woman and her near full term baby.

After being held in a morgue for years, the woman and her baby were buried at the Laurytown Road Cemetery in Lehigh Twp. in 1983 under a modest wooden cross that bore the name of Beth Doe.

They remained nameless for decades until state police at Fern Ridge announced an update in the case March 31. They positively identified Beth Doe as Colon, 15, who went missing in December 1976. Her survivors in their grief later named her baby Emily Grace Colon, according to information from the family.

Troopers also also announced the arrest of Luis Sierra, 63, of Ozone Park, New York, that day. He would have been 19 years old at the time. Trooper Gabrielle Van Wie filed the felony count of criminal homicide against him.

Sierra remains in custody awaiting extradition and a preliminary arraignment. Troopers said once they are able, more information will be released during a news conference in coordination with the Carbon County District Attorney's Office.

Background

According to arrest papers:

Colon's remains and that of her unborn daughter were packed into suitcases and likely thrown from an Interstate 80 overpass bridge.

Inside the suitcases were parts of a Sept. 26, 1976 New York Sunday News that would have circulated in northern and eastern New Jersey, to include Hudson County.

The woman was strangled, shot in the neck and dismembered in a death ruled homicide by Dr. Albert Fillinger, who performed an autopsy at Gnaden Huetten Hospital in Lehighton three days after the discovery.

Her head, nose and ears were cut off and Fillinger determined she was killed within 24 hours of being found.

DNA extracted in 2007 after an exhumation were entered into a federal missing person database, but there were no matches for anyone reported missing. But, in 2020, a Texas laboratory compiled a DNA profile that was uploaded to public DNA databases. It proved a match to Luis Colon Jr., Evelyn Colon's nephew.

Investigators searched more within the family, learning that Evelyn was last seen in Jersey City, New Jersey, and the baby's father was Sierra, a junior at James Ferris High School at the time who went by the name "Wiso." Sierra at one point lived next to the Colons on Sixth Street in Jersey City.

But, the couple later moved into an apartment in Jersey City, and when Evelyn's mother and sister went to visit there in mid-December 1976, they found the apartment empty. The sister told police Sierra was abusive and reportedly told her mother if anything happened to her, Sierra would be involved.

A January 1977 letter written in Spanish and stamped from Stamford, Connecticut, said Evelyn had a baby boy, Luis Jr., and was doing well and if she needed anything she would call family. But, Evelyn lacked writing skills.

Evelyn was never reported missing but, according to the family, they continued to search for her through the years.

When Troopers Brian Noll and Brian Janoski interviewed Sierra on March 31 at his home, Sierra initially denied knowing Evelyn before acknowledging that he dated her, lived with her and she was having his child.

He told them he last saw her prior to leaving for work one day. They argued, and when he got home and found her gone, he assumed she was at her mother's. Sierra said when he checked the mother's house, no one answered.

He couldn't explain the letter, saying they took a day trip to look at apartments in Connecticut but returned to New Jersey. He admitted to sending a letter to her family saying they were moving there but he couldn't explain why they would have sent the letter prior to moving. When investigators said the letter announced the birth of a son, he couldn't recall writing it but acknowledged it was possible and that he would have named the child Luis Jr., like the letter indicated. Sierra had several other sons, none of which were named Luis.

Told the letter would have been sent after Evelyn's death, he couldn't provide an explanation. He also couldn't explain why he made little effort to contact Evelyn and his child.

Contact the writer: achristman

@standardspeaker.com; 570-501-3584

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