Human Remains Found in Falmouth are Woman Missing for 2 Years

Human remains discovered by a kayaker in Falmouth, earlier this month, have been identified as a woman who went missing nearly two years ago.

Anneliese Heinig was last seen walking away from her vehicle on Tuesday, November 26th, 2019. Witnesses say she was dressed all in black. Her SUV was recovered from the side of I-295 by city officials who assumed it had been abandoned and posed a safety hazard for commuters. She had not been reported missing, and so there were no immediate concerns, other than getting it off the road.

On Sunday, September 12th, 2021, a kayaker found partial human remains in a tidal area along the Presumpscot River. Additional remains were found nearby, until tidal activity forced officials to suspend the search. They returned the next day with cadaver dogs and recovered even more remains, and evidence that helped them give an initial identification. A post-mortem was conducted and the Chief Medical Examiner was able to confirm that it was, indeed, 37-year-old Anneliese Heinig.

Falmouth Police say multiple searches were made of the Presumpscot River, immediately after her disappearance, including the use of dive teams, but no evidence of the woman was found. Officials say foul play is not suspected in her death.