Police call Ferguson Township homicide intentional, say attacker unknown

Police say they have no suspects and are investigating Jean Tuggy’s death as an intentional homicide.

The body of the Pine Grove Mills woman was found Thursday by two friends in her Irion Street home.

“There is not a known attacker at this moment. The person who committed the homicide is unknown at this point,” said Ferguson Township police Sgt. Robert Glenny. “This is an active investigation, and people need to be vigilant.”

In an update to the case Monday, police said Tuggy, 60, lived alone, and it is unknown to police if she had been threatened by anyone or why someone would want to harm her.

Ferguson Township police say they have not determined whether items are missing from the home, though there were no signs of forced entry.

Ferguson officers are not the only ones looking for answers.

“Several agencies are working together on the investigation, including the Centre County District Attorney’s Office and the Pennsylvania State Police,” Glenny said.

A call was made to Ferguson Township police Monday afternoon, in which a staffer said no more releases will be issued because the District Attorney’s Office had taken over the investigation.

Tuggy was remembered Monday by the State College Area School District.

“We are deeply saddened by the news,” district spokesman Chris Rosenblum said. “Jean Tuggy had been a district bus driver for 16 years, and she will be missed here.”

A four-hour autopsy conducted Friday determined the death was a homicide, Centre County Coroner Scott Sayers said.

On Saturday, Sayers told the CDT there were wounds on the victim’s body that helped him determine the death was not an accident.

“There was some trauma to the body,” Sayers said. “There was injury to the body, it was obvious, and it’s still an ongoing investigation.”

Sayers said he couldn’t give specific details that might compromise the investigation.

The scene was forensically processed by the Forensic Services Unit of the state police and the Ferguson police.

Ferguson Township police are asking anyone who may have information that can be helpful to the investigation to call them at 800-479-0050 or email police@twp.ferguson.pa.us.

This story was originally published January 25, 2016 at 5:05 PM with the headline "Police call Ferguson Township homicide intentional, say attacker unknown."