Danbury Police Confirm Remains of Woman Found in Patterson

Sad news to report today, as police have confirmed that the human remains recently found behind Putnam Diner in Patterson, NY belong to a missing Danbury woman.

As previously reported, a human skull and bones were recently recovered from a wooded area near the diner located on Route 22. The Danbury Police Department announced on Wednesday (Feb. 12) that the remains were positively identified as those of 53-year-old Laelcira DeLima, who has been missing for over two years.

DeLima was last seen by her family on Oct. 20, 2017, when she left her Danbury home driving her red Honda. The car was found weeks later on Nov. 7, 2017, at the Putnam Diner in Patterson, the same location where her remains we discovered.

Police say a that Danbury detectives will be assisting the Putnam County Sheriff's Office with their follow-up investigation, and also noted that at this time, there is no indication of foul play.

In a statement, the Detective Lt. Mark Williams expressed condolences to Laelcira DeLima's family on behalf of the Danbury Police Department:

We are saddened to announce that the remains of Laelcira Delima were discovered in a wooded area off of Route 22 in Putnam, NY on February 1, 2020. This is a tragic end to a two and one-half year investigation into her disappearance, originally reported to the Danbury Police. Ms. Delima’s identity was confirmed on February 10th by Putnam County officials, who subsequently notified the Danbury Police. We refrained from making a statement until we were sure that next of kin had been notified. Our heartfelt condolences go out to Ms. Delima’s family and friends.

This is a developing story and we'll be sure to keep you updated as the investigation continues.