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cover of episode Episode 646: The Unsolved Murder of Jeannette DePalma

Episode 646: The Unsolved Murder of Jeannette DePalma

2025/2/17
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Morbid
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A
Alayna
A
Ash
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Alayna: 我认为珍妮特·德帕尔玛的案件是一个悲剧，她的记忆被当时的撒旦恐慌所掩盖。虽然一些人认为她是一个放荡不羁的女孩，但这只是谣言，她的家人和朋友们都描述她是一个善良、友好的普通女孩。她失踪的当天，她与父母发生争执，并计划去见朋友，但具体细节存在争议。她的遗体被一只狗发现，这令人震惊。验尸结果无法确定死因，而且很多关键证据丢失了。案件调查中，警方和媒体过分关注了巫术和撒旦崇拜的可能性，这分散了对真正凶手的调查。多年后，怪异新泽西杂志的调查揭示了与珍妮特案件相似的其他谋杀案，这表明可能存在一个连环杀手。但由于缺乏证据和当时的社会背景，案件至今未解。 Ash: 我同意Alayna的观点，珍妮特·德帕尔玛的案件是一个令人心碎的悲剧，她的记忆被不公正地歪曲了。案件中充斥着谣言和猜测，这使得真相难以被发现。警方和媒体对撒旦崇拜的关注分散了对真正凶手的调查，这令人遗憾。虽然珍妮特的一些行为可能被误解，但她是一个普通的青少年，有自己的生活和朋友。她的死应该被认真对待，而不是被用来支持那些不切实际的阴谋论。我希望有一天真相能够大白，凶手能够被绳之以法。

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Jeanette DePalma was a 16-year-old girl who lived in Springfield, NJ. Different accounts paint varying pictures of her, with some describing her as a 'party girl' and others as a devout Christian and good friend who helped others. The truth likely lies somewhere in between, with the rumors surrounding her death coloring people's memories.
  • Jeanette was born in 1956 and moved to Springfield, NJ in the early 1960s.
  • Conflicting accounts exist of her personality and lifestyle.
  • Close friends and family remember her as a good friend, not a wild child.

Shownotes Transcript

On the afternoon of August 7, 1972, sixteen-year-old Jeannette DePalma left her house in Springfield, NJ and was never seen alive again. Six weeks later, Jeannette’s remains were discovered when a neighborhood dog returned to its owner at a newly built apartment complex, carrying Jeannette’s badly decomposed arm in its mouth.

The news of Jeannette’s death spread quickly around the small town and the rumors about the circumstances were not far behind. According to witnesses, the girl’s body was surrounded by occult symbols and objects, and within a few weeks news outlets began reporting that Jeannette had been the victim of ritual human sacrifice. 

For more than five decades, the murder of Jeannette DePalma had fascinated New Jersey residents and has even captured the attention of news outlets from around the country and occasionally around the world. Yet the more coverage the case receives, the more the rumors of occult murder and Satanism seem to grow, obscuring the more relevant facts and the tragedy at the heart of the case.

Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!

References

Associated Press. 1972. "Police probe death of girl." Asbury Park Press, October 3: 11.

—. 1972. "Witchcraft seen possible in teen-age girl's death." Central New Jersey Home News, September 30: 3.

—. 1972. "Was girl black magic victim?" Courier-News (Brunswick, NJ), September 30: 1.

Burks, Edward. 1971. "'Satan cult' death, drugs jolt peaceful Vineland, N.J." New York Times, July 6: 35.

Chadwick, Bruce. 1972. "Priest's theory: devil's disciples killed girl." Daily News (New York, NY), October 4: 399.

Hughes, Sarah A. 2021. American Tabloid Media and the Satanic Panic, 1970-2000. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.

Lenehan, Arthur. 1972. "Springfield cops find girl's body." Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), September 21: 10.

—. 1972. "'Witchcraft' implicated in DePalma murder." Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), October 3: 8.

Muscavage, Nick. 2019. "What happened to Springfield teen found dead near Watchung Reservation in 1972?" Courier News, August 23.

Pollack, Jesse, and Mark Moran. 2015. Death on the Devil's Teeth: The Strange Murder That Shocked Suburban New Jersey. Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press.

Schwartz, Art. 2015. "Conspiracy or serial killer?" Hudson Reporter, January 25.

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