35 Years Later: Police Renew Call for Tips in Cold Case Murder of Local Woman
Thirty-five years is a long time for a family to wait for justice. That is the heartbreaking reality for the loved ones of Deborah June Waggoner, a young woman whose life was violently cut short in 1990. Now, the Pennsylvania State Police are making a renewed, urgent plea to the public, offering a $5,000 reward for any information that can finally close this decades-old cold case.
On the early morning of April 19, 1990, the body of the 25-year-old was found inside her vehicle at a car wash in Carbon, located in Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County. Deborah, who worked as an assistant manager at a local RAX fast-food restaurant, had reportedly left her South Greensburg home the night before to run a couple of errands: buy cigarettes and wash her car.
The car wash operator told investigators he saw Deborah—or “Debbie,” as her family called her—vacuuming her faded green 1976 Chevrolet Malibu alone before he closed up for the night. Sometime after, she was attacked. She was found the next day by an officer on routine patrol, slumped in her car around 5 a.m. She had been strangled in the vehicle.
Authorities revealed at the time that the evidence at the scene suggested a struggle. According to police reports, Deborah was strangled with her own sweater, and an autopsy reportedly discovered traces of skin tissue under her fingernails. These grim details paint a picture of a young woman who fought for her life against an unknown assailant. Investigators believe she was neither robbed nor sexually assaulted. Her boyfriend cooperated with the initial investigation and passed a polygraph test.
The case has been a frustrating puzzle for law enforcement and a source of constant grief for her family. Over the years, police have collected more than 50 pieces of evidence. Crucially, as technology has advanced, investigators have confirmed they have obtained DNA evidence, a major step that offers hope for a resolution that seemed impossible decades ago.
The Pennsylvania State Police, who recently renewed the public call on this 35th anniversary, are confident that the killer is still alive and that someone in the community knows something. In years past, a key tip involved a man who claimed to have overheard a conversation where a friend’s boyfriend was implicated in the murder, a detail that demonstrates how close they might be to solving the mystery.
Troopers are urging anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward. After 35 years, a small detail that was once overlooked could be the single piece that brings a killer to justice. The $5,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest or solving the case.
If you have any information, please contact the PSP Greensburg station at 724-832-3288 or submit an anonymous tip through the PSP Tips Toll-Free line at 1-800-472-8477. You can also submit tips anonymously online.
