KLINE TOWNSHIP — A woman whose body was discovered near Interstate 81 in Schuylkill County more than 40 years ago has been identified as Gladys T. Johnson, an 18-year-old from Washington, D.C., who disappeared after leaving home to celebrate her birthday.
Pennsylvania State Police at Frackville said Johnson, known as “Tinker,” was identified in October 2026 after a family member recognized a digital reconstruction shared by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Investigators are asking anyone who knew Johnson to contact state police as they continue examining the circumstances surrounding her death.
Body Discovered Near Interstate 81 in 1986
Johnson’s body was discovered on , in a wooded area on the west side of southbound Interstate 81 near mile marker 137.2 in Kline Township, approximately two miles south of McAdoo.
An individual riding a bicycle along nearby railroad tracks found her. According to state police, she was unclothed and wore only a silver friendship ring with a Florentine finish.
Investigators initially estimated that she was between 18 and 25 years old.
An autopsy performed that day by Dr. Richard Bindie found no signs of trauma. The immediate cause of death was determined to be the adverse effects of cocaine and related complications. The manner of death was classified as undetermined.
She was buried as an unidentified woman at Rest Haven Cemetery in North Manheim Township on .
Exhumation and Genetic Genealogy Lead to Identification
The case remained open with Pennsylvania State Police, Troop L, Frackville. Investigators pursued leads and tips over the years without identifying the woman and entered information about the case into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, known as NamUs.
In July 2024, investigators exhumed her remains with assistance from Dr. Erin Kimmerle, Kelsee Hentschell-Fey and staff from the Florida Institute of Forensic Anthropology and Applied Science at the University of South Florida.
Forensic investigative genetic genealogy work began in October 2025 with Identifinders International to help locate possible relatives.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children also assisted by creating digital reconstructions of the woman and sharing the images on social media.
That outreach produced a lead in June 2026, when an individual contacted the center after seeing a reconstruction and believing it depicted a family member who had been missing since 1986.
Investigators confirmed Johnson’s identity in October 2026.
What Investigators Know About Gladys T. Johnson
According to state police, Johnson left her Washington, D.C., residence in March 1986 to celebrate her birthday and never returned home.
State police thanked the University of South Florida forensic anthropology staff, Identifinders International, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the Schuylkill County Coroner’s Office, the administration at Rosewood Rehabilitation Center, and Kauffman Excavation and Contracting for their assistance.
State Police Seek Information
Anyone who knew Gladys T. Johnson, also known as “Tinker,” is asked to call Pennsylvania State Police at Frackville at 570-874-5300 and reference incident number L03-0244946.
Gladys T. Johnson and Identification Images
