On March 1, the New Jersey Transit Police Department was ordered by Atlantic County Superior Court Judge, John C. Porto, to hand over several pieces of evidence to help solve the death of Tiffany Valiante, an 18-year-old resident of Mays Landing who was struck by a train less than a mile from her home in July 2015. Her death was ruled as a suicide, but the Valiante family strongly believes that foul play contributed to her passing.
A DNA card, t-shirt, a white towel with blood stains, and a folding knife, along with the sweatshirt, shoes, and headband of the victim, are among the items to be tested. This is the first time that these items will be examined by an independent lab, which could be groundbreaking for the ongoing case. Additionally, the Valiante family has required that an axe and keychain be analyzed.
Attorney Paul D’Amato has been fighting on behalf of the family and pushing for crucial DNA testing to be done. Testing will take about two weeks, and the Valiante family is anxiously awaiting the results. If foreign DNA is found on the items, it will be a turning point for the case and the Valiante family.