Forensic image released of 'Belle in the Well' found dead decades ago

Investigators are still trying to solve the mystery of the “Belle in the Well,” a cold case in our region that dates back decades.

On Friday, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Lawrence County Coroner Dr. Benjamin Mack unveiled a new forensic facial reconstruction of a woman whose remains were found in Lawrence County in 1981.

The clay model was created by a forensic artist with the Attorney General's Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) in an effort to identify the murder victim.

The woman's body was found in a covered well in Chesapeake, Ohio, on April 22, 1981. Authorities believe she was between 30 and 60 years old at the time of her death. She weighed around 140 pounds and was about 5 feet 3 inches tall. Her eye color and hair color are unknown.

The woman was found wearing a dark pullover sweater underneath a lightweight shirt with a red cable-knit sweater on top. She was also wearing gray slacks, red socks, and a rubber band on each of her wrists.