These Cold Cases' Mysteries Remain Unsolved In North Jersey

WARREN COUNTY, NJ — According to FBI data, around half of murder cases in the U.S. go unsolved. These investigations, known as cold cases, can last decades, and only rarely do they reach conclusions.

There are a number of cold cases active in Warren County, of which the investigators’ leads have run dry. According to the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office, there are six active cold cases in the county, dating all the way back to the 1970s.

See the cold cases below:

Elizabeth O’Connor, 1973

On July 21, 1973, Elizabeth O’Connor was found lying on Red School Lane in Lopatcong Township, suffering from a severe head injury. She also had injuries on her knees, hips, and thighs. She was later pronounced dead as a result of her injuries.

O’Connor’s vehicle, a 1973 Dodge Camper with a license plate displaying WXE-684, was later found at the Hillcrest Shopping Mall.

No suspect was ever apprehended for the murder of O’Connor.

Larry Anderson, 1976

In January of 1976, road workers found a plastic bag containing a human skull, several vertebrae, and a femur bone in a drainage ditch on Route 80 in Knowlton Township.

It wasn’t until nearly 40 years later, in 2015, that forensics experts identified the remains as belonging to Larry Bernard Anderson, born in 1954. Experts were able to identify the remains thanks to DNA provided by Anderson’s sister.

The victim’s sister told police that she last saw him in Brooklyn, NY, in May of 1975.

James Callaghan, 1986

In January 1986, James Callaghan was found dead with a gunshot to the head on a Ridge Road residence’s porch.

The owners of the residence denied hearing any gunshots when questioned by police.

Officials added that Callaghan may have had connections with the Pagans Motorcycle Club, considered one of the FBI’s “Big Four” outlaw motorcycle gangs in the country.

Wendy Louise Baker, “Tiger Lady,” 1991

On Oct. 26, 1991, officials recovered a dead woman in a Knowlton Township parking lot off Route 94. Autopsy reports confirmed the cause of death to be homicide.

She was unable to be identified and was nicknamed “Tiger Lady” for a tattoo of a tiger on her left leg.

30 years later, in 2021, Bode Laboratories in Lorton, Virginia, was able to locate family members of the deceased using genealogy. They used “Tiger Lady’s” family’s DNA to identify her as Wendy Louise Baker.

According to officials, Baker had been traveling through multiple states before she was found dead in the Warren County parking lot.

Ursula Kochik, 2001

On April 9, 2001, Lopatcong police found a “badly burnt,” dead female on the side of Marble Hill Road.

Investigators were able to identify the victim as Ursula Kochik, a known prostitute who frequented the Phillipsburg and Easton areas.

Unidentified Woman, 2017

On May 21, 2017, police responded to a report of human remains near River Road in Pohatcong Township. A severed foot wearing a woman’s size-7, Reebok sneaker was found in the area.

After conducting a search of the area, officials were unable to find other remains.

After the Morris County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an examination of the remains, they were then taken to the New Jersey State Police Anthropology Unit.

Anyone with information that could lead to a breakthrough with any of these cases is encouraged to contact the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office at wcpo@co.warren.nj.us or 908-475-6275.

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One of the county’s long-time cold cases was actually solved just three years ago. See the details of the recently solved crime below:

Dawn Olanick, 1982: SOLVED

On July 15, 1982, a dead woman was found behind Cedar Ridge Cemetery on Highway 94 in Blairstown. According to experts, she had been dead for less than a week before she was found.

An autopsy revealed that she had died due to blunt trauma to the head and face, with multiple fractures.

At the time, she was unable to be identified, referred to as “Princess Doe,” by investigators. Officials described her as a 15 to 20-year-old, standing around 5 '2, and weighing around 110 pounds. She was found wearing a red shirt and a skirt with peacocks on it.

Investigators also found that she had a pierced left ear, wore a gold chain necklace with a cross, and had several dental fillings in her teeth.

In June 1983, “Princess Doe” was the first unidentified person case entered into the National Crime Information Center database by FBI Director William H. Webster.

A lead emerged in 2005, when investigators received a letter from Arthur Kinlaw, an inmate at the Sullivan Correctional Facility in Fallsburg, NY. Kinlaw confessed to “Princess Doe’s” murder; however, because she was still unidentified, the confession could not be corroborated, officials said.

It wasn’t until 2022 that “Princess Doe” was identified as Dawn Olanick, a runaway high schooler from New York. Witnesses confirmed that Kinlaw had previously attempted to lure Olanick into prostitution. When she refused, he drove her to New Jersey, where he murdered her, police said.

On July 13, 2022, New Jersey State Police charged Kinlaw, who had since been released from Sullivan Correctional Facility, with first-degree murder.