Thanks to the persistence of attorney Paul D'Amato, and the recent approval of his discovery motion, DNA testing could provide answers in the suspicious death of Tiffany Valiante five years ago.
D'Amato Law Firm
Demands DNA Testing
in Cold Case of Tiffany
Valiante
On March 1, 2021 the family of Tiffany Valiante got a break in the five-year-old
cold case of her suspicious death as their lawyer, Paul D'Amato successfully
motioned to reopen discovery, which was granted by a Superior Court judge in
Atlantic County, NJ.
As a result, the the N.J. Transit Police Department
was ordered by 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, NJ, who was struck by a New
Jersey Transit commuter train in July 2015.
Her death was ruled a suicide, but the Valiante family and attorney Paul
D’Amato reject this theory, and strongly believe that foul play
contributed to her passing.
The D’Amato Law Firm in Egg Harbor Township, NJ,
filed the complaint (Valiante v. N.J. Transit Police
Department, Superior Court of NJ, Atlantic County, No.
ATL-L-OO1840-19) two years ago, asking the Court to
reopen discovery and order the transit agency to have
DNA from the scene tested.
Items to be tested include DNA and a DNA card, Tiffany’s bloodied
ankle bracelet, headband, sneakers, and numerous other personal
items recovered at or near the railroad tracks where she was struck.
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.
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.
"We need to know how and why our precious daughter, who had everything to live for as
she was about to start her college years, was killed, including whether she was brutally
murdered then thrown onto the train tracks to conceal the killing," said Tiffany's father,
Stephen Valiante.
The Valiantes also noted that Tiffany, whose
mangled body was found partially clothed and
barefoot, inexplicably was killed nearly five miles
from the family home, yet her shoes were located
more than a mile from the scene. The shorts she
was wearing that night were never recovered.
A $20,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the guilty party.
“Somebody knows how Tiffany got from our house to the train tracks and we’re hoping the reward will
motivate one or more people who know something to finally say something.” - the Valiantes.
Prior to her death, Tiffany planned to attend Mercy
College (Dobbs Ferry, NY), where she was awarded an
athletic scholarship. An all-conference high school
volleyball player, she was heavily recruited by colleges
and longed to play at the highest level, while pursuing a
career in criminal justice.
Contact Us At: https://damatolawfirm.com
Demands DNA Testing
in Cold Case of Tiffany
Valiante
On March 1, 2021 the family of Tiffany Valiante got a break in the five-year-old
cold case of her suspicious death as their lawyer, Paul D'Amato successfully
motioned to reopen discovery, which was granted by a Superior Court judge in
Atlantic County, NJ.
As a result, the the N.J. Transit Police Department
was ordered by 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, NJ, who was struck by a New
Jersey Transit commuter train in July 2015.
Her death was ruled a suicide, but the Valiante family and attorney Paul
D’Amato reject this theory, and strongly believe that foul play
contributed to her passing.
The D’Amato Law Firm in Egg Harbor Township, NJ,
filed the complaint (Valiante v. N.J. Transit Police
Department, Superior Court of NJ, Atlantic County, No.
ATL-L-OO1840-19) two years ago, asking the Court to
reopen discovery and order the transit agency to have
DNA from the scene tested.
Items to be tested include DNA and a DNA card, Tiffany’s bloodied
ankle bracelet, headband, sneakers, and numerous other personal
items recovered at or near the railroad tracks where she was struck.
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.
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.
"We need to know how and why our precious daughter, who had everything to live for as
she was about to start her college years, was killed, including whether she was brutally
murdered then thrown onto the train tracks to conceal the killing," said Tiffany's father,
Stephen Valiante.
The Valiantes also noted that Tiffany, whose
mangled body was found partially clothed and
barefoot, inexplicably was killed nearly five miles
from the family home, yet her shoes were located
more than a mile from the scene. The shorts she
was wearing that night were never recovered.
A $20,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the guilty party.
“Somebody knows how Tiffany got from our house to the train tracks and we’re hoping the reward will
motivate one or more people who know something to finally say something.” - the Valiantes.
Prior to her death, Tiffany planned to attend Mercy
College (Dobbs Ferry, NY), where she was awarded an
athletic scholarship. An all-conference high school
volleyball player, she was heavily recruited by colleges
and longed to play at the highest level, while pursuing a
career in criminal justice.
Contact Us At: https://damatolawfirm.com