17-year-old Patricia 'Patty' Bartlett was stabbed to death in the parking lot of the Oxford Valley Mall in Middletown Twp. in 1975
MIDDLETOWN TWP., PA. (WPVI) -- It's been more than 50 years since 17-year-old Patricia "Patty" Bartlett was stabbed to death in the parking lot of the Oxford Valley Mall in Middletown Township.
The video featured is from a previous report.
Now, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office and the local police are asking for the public's help in hopes of solving the cold case.
Middletown Township police responded to a stabbing in the east parking lot of the Oxford Valley Mall, 2300 E. Lincoln Highway, near the former Gimbels department store around 5:30 p.m. on January 13, 1975.
When they arrived, officers found Bartlett suffering from multiple stab wounds.
She was walking to her car when she was attacked and stabbed four times.
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She was able to make it back into the entrance of the store Gimbel's to get help. Medics rushed her to the hospital, where she later died.
"Patty suffered a heinous death at the hands of an unknown violent predator," District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said. "Although the case went unsolved, Middletown Township Police have never forgotten about Patty's murder."
Bartlett was a senior at Pennsbury High School at the time of her death and had been working as a waitress at the former CoCo's Restaurant on Lincoln Highway for about a year.
Investigators say Bartlett was an avid photographer who had gone to the mall that day to purchase film to capture an upcoming snowstorm.
"She was going to the Philadelphia Art Institute for photography," her brother Glen said to Action News during a 2023 interview.
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"Feels like yesterday," said Glen, who was 13 years old at the time of the murder.
Glen also told Action News that an encounter with Patty a week before her death has always troubled him.
"I remember her working. She was working as a waitress at Coco's and somebody followed her home. She was scared to death of the guy," he said. "After about five minutes the guy took off, he left and a week later she was gone."
Police have previously told Action News that robbery is an unlikely motive since her purse, wallet, and shopping bag of photo supplies were all recovered at the scene.
Schorn said that throughout the decades, investigators have continually pursued every lead and have reexamined evidence with the help of developments in forensic science.
"Over the years, MTPD has revisited this case multiple times, working closely with the Bucks County Detectives Cold Case Unit in a relentless pursuit of justice for Patty and a measure of closure for the Bartlett family," said Middletown Township Police Chief Joseph Bartorilla.
"We hope [Bartlett's family] know we will continue to pursue every investigative lead in Patty's case," Schorn said.
Anyone with information about the murder is urged to contact Bucks County Detectives at 215-348-6354 or the Middletown Township Police Department at 215-750-3870. Tips can also be left through CrimeWatch at www.bucksda.org or with the Middletown Township Police Department at www.mtpd.org on the anonymous tips link or the anonymous tip phone line at 215-750-3888. Tipsters can remain anonymous.