Patricia Colina Goodwin dies in fatal North Avondale incident

Patricia Colina Goodwin dies in fatal North Avondale incident

Fatal North Avondale death of Patricia Colina Goodwin – Obituary

Authorities have confirmed the identity of a woman whose body was discovered in North Avondale in 2018. Patricia Colina Goodwin, who was 71 at the time of her death, was previously known only as the “Rose Lady.”

Her remains were found on May 31, 2018, by children playing near an apartment complex on Glenwood Avenue. Goodwin had been partially buried in a mulch bed, with a single rose placed on her chest, which led to her nickname.

Efforts to identify her were unsuccessful for years, despite multiple public appeals. However, with the recent assistance of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations, Cincinnati Police, and the FBI, investigators were able to confirm her identity on May 23, 2025, using DNA testing and genealogy techniques.

Hamilton County Coroner Dr. Lakshmi Kode Sammarco said that DNA evidence led to a breakthrough when it was discovered that a deceased man, found in 2019, was Goodwin’s son. After comparing their DNA, a genetic expert concluded there was a 99.9996% probability they were mother and son.

It was also learned that both Goodwin and her son had experienced homelessness, and both died from drug overdoses. Her son’s body was discovered roughly a mile from where she was found.

Investigators believe that her son, known to have been living in a tent near the discovery site, may have tried to bury his mother himself and placed the rose on her chest as a gesture of love or grief.

Goodwin’s family had been searching for her since she went missing. Tragically, her brother passed away a month ago without learning what had happened to her.

Both Goodwin and her son are now laid to rest at Spring Grove Cemetery.