An Atlantic-City woman is found dead by the side of the road In the late autumn of 2001, the life of 32-year-old Michelle Lynn Howard, an African-American mother from Atlantic City, New Jersey, came to a tragic and violent end. Remembered by her family as a vibrant and fun-loving woman with a 'go-getter' mentality, Michelle had recently returned to her hometown to live with her grandmother. She was last seen by her family at approximately 10:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 24, 2001.
Two days later, on November 26, 2001, her body was discovered by horseback riders on the side of Estelle Avenue in the Mizpah section of Hamilton Township. She was found unclothed except for a white bra. The location where she was found, about a quarter-mile from Route 40, was not an area she was known to frequent, leading her family and authorities to believe she was killed elsewhere and her body was moved.
An autopsy revealed the grim details of her final moments.
The cause of death was determined to be asphyxia associated with the aspiration of gastric contents, along with multiple blunt force injuries to her head, neck, and torso. The manner of her death was ruled a homicide. Despite the passage of time, the case remains unsolved, with no arrests made and no suspects publicly identified. Law enforcement officials in Atlantic County have continued to investigate and have periodically issued public pleas for any information that might lead to a breakthrough in the case and bring closure to her grieving family.
