Cold Case: Montco. Authorities Looking For 86-Year-Old Woman's Killer 2 Years Later

By Brad Segall

LOWER MORELAND, Pa. (CBS) - Authorities in Montgomery County are releasing new information about the murder of a Lower Moreland woman which happened more than two years ago. They are hoping that someone will come forward with a clue that will help them solve the case.

Prosecutors say Mary Pellegrino, 86, enjoyed striking up conversations with strangers at Dunkin' Donuts and Tiffany's Diner in Northeast Philadelphia. They say she also spent time at the Home Depot in the Leo Mall on Bustleton Avenue, where she would hire handymen to do odd jobs around her Pine Road house and pay in cash.

"She was certainly a very kind-hearted woman and she was a very friendly person," described Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Ferman in the hopes the new information will jog someone's memory and lead them to the killer.

"She was out in the community, talking to people and engaging them. It's certainly possible that friendliness and that trust in others may have been betrayed."

Pellegrino's body was found in her home January 3, 2010 by a handyman who worked for her. Police say two rings, a 2-carat rectangular diamond and one with alternating rubies and diamonds, were taken from the house.

"We've really run into a dead end with this investigation and we're hoping that the public may be able to help us now," Ferman said.

There is a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.