WHYY reports that Tiffany’s parents were immediately concerned that she had wandered off alone in the dark, and even more so when they found her cell phone near their residence. Newsweek adds that the family contacted loved ones and friends to no avail. At 11:30 p.m., her family filed a missing person report. Unbeknownst to them, Tiffany (above, in 2014) was already dead. Only minutes before, The Philadelphia Inquirer writes, she had walked four miles away from her home and was hit by NJ Transit train 4693. The train was going 80 mph and Tiffany died instantly. When her body was discovered, she was barefoot and partially clothed.
According to Newsweek, investigators quickly came to the conclusion that Tiffany had killed herself. The Philadelphia Inquirer adds that this was backed up by a student engineer who was conducting the train the night of Tiffany’s death. He stated, under oath, that he had seen Tiffany throw herself in front of the train. However, Tiffany’s parents were shocked by this and vehemently denied that their daughter was suicidal (per Cosmopolitan). On “Unsolved Mysteries,” Dianne explained (via Newsweek), “I was devastated. I couldn’t understand how they could come up with that. My daughter wasn’t depressed. She wasn’t suicidal. Tiffany was happy!” In a decision that they now regret, WHYY states, the family had Tiffany cremated.
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If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
