Utah Department of Public Safety

Patricia Ann Barrett

This case was originally the found remains of an unidentified person. The body of a nude female was found wrapped in carpeting in an area of the old Salt Lake Beach, near I-80. The time of death was estimated to be approximately one month prior to her body being located. Her body was located by a motorist on October 25, 1978.

The cause of death was unable to be determined but may have been strangulation. The circumstances led to the case being classified as a homicide. The body remained unidentified until June of 2012 when DNA testing confirmed her identity as that of Patricia Barrett. Patricia was 45 years-old at the time of her disappearance. It is believed she had only been in the Salt Lake area a couple of months prior to vanishing. She was originally from the Texas area and had family there. Patricia had been travelling in the year-and-a-half prior to her death and it’s possible she was in the south-east portion of the U.S., including Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. Contact with Patricia indicated she may have been homeless prior to her disappearance. She suffered mental illness and had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. The last known contact with Patricia was with her children on August 31, 1978. They continued to look for her for the years leading up to her identification.Case #1978-76134
Case Status:Open

Contact Detective Ben Pender (385) 468-9816

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