‘Dawn Marino has never been forgotten’

Because of “continual progress over the last several years,” police again are seeking the public’s assistance in solving a decades-old homicide case.

Dawn Marino, a 20-year-old Westtown resident, was last seen leaving the Corner Tavern, also known as Rinky Dinks, in Pine Island on May 16, 1981. At the time, the drinking age in New York was 18; that wouldn’t change until 1985.

On Halloween 1987, her skeletal remains were discovered in a wooded area off Little York Road in Warwick, about five miles from the bar.

Since then, law enforcement has treated Marino’s disappearance as a homicide investigation, with numerous leads followed and interviews conducted.

Last week, authorities - including the state police, Warwick police, Orange County District Attorney’s Office and FBI - set up five checkpoints on area roads offering a $5,000 reward for information resulting in the arrest and/or conviction of those responsible for Marino’s death.

“For our community, just knowing that we have had an unsolved homicide for all these years is troublesome to the community,” said Lt. Alton Morley of the Warwick Police Department. “Dawn Marino has never been forgotten in Warwick or by any agency that has been investigating her case.”

Had she lived, Marino would be in her mid-60s, perhaps a grandmother, perhaps getting ready to retire.

Anyone with information pertaining to her death is being asked to contact one or more of these agencies:

• Warwick Police Department: 845-986-3344

• New York State Police: 845-344-5370, crimetip@troopers.ny.gov

• New York State Police Communications: 845-344-5300

• FBI: 212-384-1000, tips.fbi.gov, newyork@fbi.gov

Information can remain confidential.