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THE YOUNG woman was only 18 years old when she suffered an untimely death.
The Netflix show Unsolved Mystery features an episode about Tiffany Valiente that has increased public interest in her story.
Who was Tiffany Valiante?
Tiffany Valiante graduated high school in 2015. A star athlete at Oakcrest High School in New Jersey, Tiffany stood tall at 6’2”.
She had just accepted five volleyball scholarships and was excited to attend Mercy College in New York that fall.
On July 12, 2015, Tiffany attended a graduation party for her cousin who lived across the street from her in Mays Landing, New Jersey.
What happened to Tiffany Valiante?
A few hours after she left the party, Tiffany was struck and killed by a NJ Transit train and was quickly ruled a suicide by NJ Transit Police.
However, Tiffany’s parents believe they have reasons to doubt that ruling.
The NJ Transit Police ruled her death a suicide without an autopsy, rape kit, or DNA analysis, according to the Valiente family’s lawyer.
She was about four miles from her home. She was also barefoot and partially undressed.
Her shoes and headband were found over a mile from where she was struck, but her denim shorts were never recovered.
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A suicide ruling would mean that Tiffany walked home, dropped her cell phone in her driveway, and walked in the woods for miles.
Her friends and family have refuted this, saying that Tiffany had a severe fear of the dark and couldn’t have walked in the dark alone.
Was the case reopened?
The family’s lawyer revealed in 2022 that the DNA Diagnostics Center determined that the evidence in this case had been mishandled.
For example, the t-shirt she wore on the night she died was stored in a plastic bag.
The DDC says evidence containing DNA should be stored in paper bags, to prevent molding.
Even more troubling, an axe with red markings was found near the crime scene but has since been lost.
In 2022, the family urged the NJ Transit Board to reconsider their decision and reopen the case, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
Jim Smith, a spokesperson for NJ Transit replied that they would not reopen the case because they “consider the case closed.”
A petition to investigate Tiffany’s death has over 13,000 signatures, as of November 2023.
