Eileen Faye Zarlenga (29) was found on January 30, 1988 near Gladstone Rd. in Jackson Township, Girard, Trumbull County, Ohio. The estimated date of death is January 26-30, 1988.
Sometime during the night of January 25 or early morning of January 26, 1988, Eileen was taken from her apartment at 1082 Patricia Drive in Girard, Trumbull County, Ohio.
It is highly unlikely that she would have left home alone with her 3-year-old daughter. She would have known who was at her door. I'm not sure who reported her missing, who did so a few hours later, and who found her young daughter alone in her home.
Authorities say that Zarrenga (September 16, 1958 – January 26–30, 1988) was stabbed multiple times. There were signs of sexual assault. The exact cause of death is not in the papers. I did not read about the knife found at the crime scene. I hope all the evidence is preserved so that modern technology can find DNA.
In this case, the last public update was in 2010. “New evidence has been collected in the January 25, 1988 kidnapping, rape and murder of Eileen Zarlenga..” This clearly points to biological evidence. They continued: ““We need the public’s help to identify a suspect who matches the evidence in the case.” This suggests exploring genetic databases online.
As this case was made public in 2010 and still remains unsolved, we need to be more vigilant about this old unsolved case.
Contact Information
If you have any information, call the Mahoning County Sheriff's Office/Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation at 330-480-5028. Compensation is mentioned on this site.
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In our “Case of the Month” series, we highlight old, unsolved cases. This post is 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, get people talking, and most importantly, make sure the victims aren't forgotten. Just because their cases aren't solved doesn't mean they can be forgotten.
Advances in modern forensic science have given us the opportunity to find clues that were previously hidden. So let’s take another look at this whole old incident.
I encourage you to share this post on your social media platforms. By sharing this post online, these events will reach new networks, new connections, and new news feeds. One day, this update may show up in the news feed of the right person. That person may be the one who can help move the story forward, and that is my goal.
Rest in peace, Eileen Faye Zarlenga.