Six months after reopening the hit-and-run death case of Michele Iannacchino, police are requesting additional support from the public.

The focus of the investigation is now on the search for the vehicle that struck the girl, said Windham Police Sgt. Wendy Foley at a press conference on Monday, Nov. 13.

FBI analysis of paint chips and pieces of glass recovered from the scene of the 1986 incident suggests the car that struck and killed 13-year-old Iannacchino was a medium blue Chrysler or AMC vehicle made between 1983 and 1986, Foley said.

Foley and members of Iannacchino’s family said they request anyone who knew someone who owned a car matching the description to come forward.

Foley said the car would have had damage to the front headlights and bumper. Some witnesses reported the driver was a male with a female passenger.

“We are requesting that anyone with information come forward,” Foley said. “Any and all information will be investigated fully.”

Iannacchino, a Salem resident who has been described by family members and friends as having a kind personality and a contagious laugh, was killed on Jan. 18, 1986, after being struck by a car while crossing Route 28 in Windham near what is now the Park Place Lanes bowling alley.

She suffered massive internal injuries and was dead by the time help arrived, Foley said. The driver pulled on to the shoulder of the road and then sped off.

Iannacchino’s death has remained unsolved for more than 20 years. After Salem police Capt. William Ganley took special interest in the case, it has been reopened in hopes that someone will come forward with information.

Ganley, who was a new officer at the time of the accident, was visiting Michele Memorial Park, which was named after Iannacchino, when he decided to take another look at the case. Since the incident occurred in Windham, Foley has been the prime investigator.

Still, what information police have about the incident is sparse due to a loss of information over the years, Foley said.

Catherine Wetherbee, Iannacchino’s mother, has spoken out about the nature of the original investigation, saying it was insufficient and questioning why what information was gathered has been lost.

The struggle to retain the lost information has consumed both Wetherbee’s and Foley’s time, but few leads have surfaced.

At the press conference, Weatherbee said she wants those who initially came forward with information, including an anonymous caller and a school guidance counselor, to contact her.

“We need to do what we can,” she said. “Someone may have the information that we need to get this case closed.”

Though the incident happened more than 20 years ago, it remains fresh on the minds of those who knew Iannacchino.

“We have suffered and continue to suffer,” said her father, Michael Iannacchino. “Something like this takes a piece of you.”

The press conference also drew two old friends of Iannacchino, Jackie Hudkins and Melissa Szymansky, who said they came to support the family and hope someone comes forward.

Hudkins, like many others, said she mostly remembers Iannacchino’s laugh and her bright personality. Closing the case is still important to her, even after two decades, she said.

“Someone out there knows something,” Szymansky said. “No one could keep this kind of secret to themselves.”

Foley said the next step in the investigation is hoping for someone to come forward with information about the vehicle while she awaits results from the FBI about additional forensic evidence.

Anyone with information should contact Sgt. Wendy Foley of the Windham Police Dept. at 603-434-5577.