NORRISTOWN – Montgomery County authorities have turned to social media to seek additional information in the ongoing death investigation of an Ambler woman whose body was discovered in a New Hanover field in August 2012.
The district attorney’s office posted a ‘Request for Information Death Investigation’ notice on its Facebook page this week as the investigation continues into the Aug. 29, 2012, discovery of Natalie Marella’s lifeless body in a field adjacent to Little Road.
‘We know that someone or a few people know more about this. We have a grieving family who has lost a daughter and we want answers in terms of how she got to New Hanover Township and who put her there,’ First Assistant District Attorney Kevin R. Steele said Wednesday.
Anyone with information regarding Marella’s death or the discovery of her body is urged to contact the Montgomery County Detective Bureau at 610-278-3368 or the New Hanover Township Police Department at 610-327-1150, according to the Facebook posting.
Marella, 26, who graduated from Central Bucks West High School, was last seen alive on Aug. 27, 2012, according to authorities. Investigators, in previous news releases, said they are seeking information about ‘who Marella was with at the time of her death.’
The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office completed its examination of the death in January 2013 and determined Marella died from a seizure disorder with ‘another significant condition’ being a head injury. Toxicology tests conducted on Marella turned up ‘no significant findings’ and the manner of her death remains undetermined.
Investigators continue to refer to the inquiry as a ‘death investigation.’
‘We are looking for answers in terms of how she was put in this rural area of New Hanover Township,’ Steele said. ‘The right thing to do is provide authorities with the information regarding what happened and how she got there.’
Police responded to a report of an unresponsive subject at the farm field in the 2400 block of Little Road around 10:21 a.m. Aug. 29, 2012, after a farmer cutting his grass discovered the body. When police arrived, it was confirmed that the woman was deceased, and county detectives were called to assist with the investigation.
Mark Slater, the local farmer who discovered Marella’s body, at the time told media that he’d seen tire tracks in the field near the body.
Authorities said Marella’s body was fully clothed when it was discovered.
Follow Carl Hessler Jr. on Twitter @MontcoCourtNews
