Eileen Faye Zarlenga (29) was found on Jan 30, 1988 near Gladstone Rd. in the Jackson Township, Girard, Trumbull County, Ohio. The date of death is estimated to have occurred between Jan 26-30, 1988.
At some point in the night of January 25, 1988 or in the early morning hours of the 26th, Eileen was taken from her apartment at 1082 Patricia Drive, Girard, Trumbull County, Ohio.
It is highly unlikely she would have left her 3-year-old daughter alone inside. She might even have known who was at the door. I am not sure who reported her missing, after how many hours, and who found her little girl alone at home.
Authorities said Zarlenga (9/16/1958 – 1/26-30/1988) had been stabbed several times. There were indications of sexual assault. The exact cause of death is not in the newspapers. I did not read about a knife found at the crime scene. Hopefully, all evidence has been preserved so that with modern technology, we might be able to find DNA.
The last public update in this case is from 2010. “New evidence has been obtained in the Jan. 25, 1988, abduction, rape and murder of Eileen Zarlenga.” This clearly points to biological evidence. They continued with this: “The public’s help is needed to develop suspects that can be matched to evidence in the case.” This hints at exploring genetic databases online.
As it was made public in 2010 and the case is still listed as unsolved, we may need to raise more awareness for this old, unsolved case.
Contact Information
If you have any information, please contact the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office / Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation at 330-480-5028. On this site a reward is mentioned.
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In the series “Case of the Month” I highlight old unsolved cases. These posts are not an in-depth analysis and of course, more information can be found online and in newspaper archives.
We need to get these cases back in the mainstream media, to get people talking again, and if anything, to make sure that we do not forget the victims. Just because their cases are unsolved does not mean that we can forget about them.
With the advances in modern forensic sciences, we have a chance to find clues that previously remained hidden. So, let us review all these old cases once more.
I encourage you to share this post on your own social media platforms. By sharing these posts online, the cases reach new networks, new connections, and the latest news feeds. One day these updates may pop up in the right person’s news feed. That may be someone who can help advance the case and that is my goal.
Rest in peace, Eileen Faye Zarlenga.