For the most part, Delaware is a peaceful state. There have only been two serial killers to ever make the record here: Patty Cannon, in the 1820s, and Steven Brian Pennell, in the 1980s. Crime rates in our small state hover around the national median, and it’s not common to ever fear for your life while exploring our beautiful state. Unfortunately, though, there have been some brutal murders here in the First State, and one of the most notorious remains unsolved to this day. Do you remember when this story hit the news?

Blackbird State Forest is a wild, untamed wilderness in New Castle County that's a favorite spot of hikers, hunters and researchers.
Facebook / Blackbird State Forest
On September 20, 1986, one young researcher named Jane Prichard, from the University of Maryland, drove up to Blackbird to study wild hog peanut plants.
Flickr / Dan Nydick
Blackbird State Forest is an optimal location for researchers, as it is largely untouched and minimally maintained.
Facebook / Blackbird State Forest
Sometime during her studies, her story took a dark turn, and Jane was murdered and left partially unclothed on a quiet section of the trail.
Facebook / Blackbird State Forest

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That evening, two campers found the body, partially unclothed. Jane was a shot from behind with a shotgun, and left with her research equipment. Her blue and white Blazer was found parked nearby.
New Castle County PD
A good samaritan had seen Jane speaking with a squirrel hunter, and went to the police to provide a description.
Flickr / Hedera Baltica
Though he was cooperative with detectives, the good samaritan was arrested and thrown in Gander Hill Prison, where he lived miserably for 10 months until a DNA test proved his innocence. The case went cold once again.
Facebook / Gander Hill Prison
The case remains cold, despite a second look by detectives and DNA testing in 2015. To this day, the air in Blackbird State Forest has an eerie feel to it, and you can't help but wonder what secrets these trees are hiding.
Flickr / IIP Photo Archive

You can read more about Delaware Cold Cases here. With modern technology, there’s still hope that Jane’s killer will be brought to justice. Until then, though, this mystery will stay on the minds of many Delawareans who remember.

Don’t let the eerie history keep you away from Blackbird State Forest though. This isolated forest is one of the best places to camp in the entire state. Read more about it here: The One Place To Sleep In Delaware That’s Beyond Your Wildest Dreams.

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