The remains of Diane Corado, a 57-year-old Falls Township, Pa., resident, were found on the banks of a Camden creek, near where Corado’s car was discovered 2½ years ago.
A photo of Diane Corado DOYLESTOWN, Pa. — A Hamilton man who could face the death penalty for allegedly abducting and killing his estranged girlfriend in 2010 helped lead authorities to her body late last month, the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office confirmed yesterday.
The remains of Diane Corado, a 57-year-old Falls Township, Pa., resident, were found on the banks of a Camden creek, near where Corado’s car was discovered 2½ years ago.
Charges remain unchanged for Kenneth Patterson, 50, who allegedly forced his way into Corado’s apartment armed with a pipe in Dec. 2010 and abducted Corado and her roommate. But Bucks First District Attorney Michelle Henry couldn’t comment yesterday whether Patterson had assisted in exchange for any sort of consideration from the prosecution.
“The case is still scheduled for trial, prepared to go,” she said.
Trial proceedings are scheduled to begin July 8. Authorities allege he beat Corado, a registered nurse who worked at Princeton House in Princeton, with the pipe while inside the apartment, threatening to kill her for breaking up with him a few weeks before.
Patterson then grabbed a knife from the kitchen and forced Corado and her roommate into Corado’s car. He drove them around before ordering the roommate out of the car a short time later.
The car was found the next day in Camden with blood and the knife inside it, and Patterson was arrested at a nearby motel a short time later. His bail was initially set at
$9 million.
Patterson’s recent help led authorities near to the scene where the car was found. On April 26, a search involving K-9s found Corado’s body on the banks of a local creek, Henry said.
“They were found in Camden city along the bank of Newton Creek, north branch, nearby where her car was found by police,” she said.
It is believed Corado’s body had formerly been in the water, Henry said. No cause of death was released yesterday by the district attorney’s office.
Patterson was not let out of jail to assist in the search.
“He has been behind bars since his arrest,” Henry said.
Both the roommate and a man who met Patterson at the Salvation Army in Trenton days before Corado disappeared said Patterson told them he wanted to kill Corado for leaving him.
Henry did not have any information on whether Corado was killed at the site where her body was found or dumped there. Corado’s family has been notified of the discovery of her body, Henry said.
Contact Alex Zdan at azdan@njtimes.com or (609) 989-5705.
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