Police Ask for Help in Death Investigation

Police say they have identified skeletal remains found last June as those of a woman who had been missing for more than five years. Now police are asking anyone with knowledge of how she died to come forward.

Linda Mae Archer's family reported to Prince William County police in January of 2005 that Archer had been missing since October of 2004. 

Police then filed a missing persons report but their investigation yielded no known locations or evidence of foul play. Prince William County Police spokesman Jonathan Perok said that they found no reason to classify Archer's disappearance as suspicious. Perok said there was no evidence of a break-in, a struggle, or other outside involvement. Since Archer was an adult without any type of disability, she could decide to leave without telling anyone, Perok said.

Archer, who lived in the 3600 block of Elm Farm Road, was 58 at the time of her disappearance.

On June 2, 2010 police received a report that human bones had been found in the area of Minnieville Road and Prince William Parkway, not far from Elm Farm Road.

A Prince William Police Search and Rescue operation discovered skeletal remains in the area. The remains were sent to the Virginia State Lab for a DNA comparison against DNA profiles of Archer's possible relatives.

Now police report that the DNA analysis resulted in a match for Linda Archer from a relative. Police are continuing the investigation into a cause of death.

Archer was described as a white female, 5-feet and six-inches-tall, 85 pounds with black hair and blue eyes. 

Prince William County Police are asking anyone with information relating to this case to call Detective P.J. Masterson at 703-792-7279 or Crime Solvers at 703-670-3700 or 1-866-411-TIPS. You don’t have to give your name, just the information. You could earn up to a $1,000 cash reward.