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Mother of girl found in landfill: ‘She was a sweet, caring, trusting girl'

GROVE CITY, Pa. — State police in Mercer County have identified the girl whose body was found in a Grove City landfill earlier this week.

Channel 11's Jennifer Tomazic reported Friday that officials have determined the victim is 16-year-old Gina Burger, of Austintown, Ohio.

According to our partners at the Tribune-Review, the Mercer County coroner said Burger died of a single stab wound in the chest and ruled the case a homicide.

"She had a family.  People loved her and cared about her, and to find her in a landfill, someone has no regard for life," Burger's mother Jacqueline Bacher told Channel 11's Pamela Osborne Friday night.

Burger was reported missing Monday night.  Bacher said Burger left their apartment to ask a neighbor for tea, but she never came back.

Friday afternoon, Bacher said she got the worst call of her life.   A person confirmed Burger's body was found in the landfill.

"She was a sweet, caring and trusting girl," said Bacher.

Bacher believes Burger was abducted.

"It's more important than anything in this world for me to know what happened to my daughter," said Bacher.

Police said they were able to identify Burger by scars from a major surgery she had and by her clothing.

Burger's body was found at Tri-County Industries Wednesday.  Trucks from Ohio, Clarion, Erie and surrounding areas use the facility.

Police don't know what truck the body came in on, but they said it was taken there between midnight and 3 p.m.
 
Officials said a bucket loader was moving trash to a tractor trailer when a worker noticed the body.

WPXI

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