A human jawbone was found Sept. 17, 2019, in an abandoned gravel pit off Somerset Road in Searsburg, Vt. When police arrived to investigate, they found other human remains. Almost a year later, the remains were identified as Jessica Hildenbrandt, 43, of Ballston Spa, N.Y. Her death was ruled a homicide.
Hildenbrandt was an auto worker who frequently visited Vermont’s Bennington County. She was last in contact with her family in July 2019. Her last Facebook post was made on July 7, 2019. Police have not determined a cause of death for Hildenbrandt, nor have they named any suspects in the case, which remains open.