As Netflix Show Premieres, South Jersey Family Doubles Reward

With Netflix's Unsolved Mysteries set to spotlight the suspicious death of their daughter beginning Tuesday, Tiffany Valiante's parents are doubling the reward for information about their daughter's death.

Steven and Dianne Valiante announced Tuesday that they are offering $40,000 for any tips that lead to an arrest of the person or people responsible for Tiffany's death.

The death of Tiffany Valiante, the 18-year-old Mays Landing girl who was hit by an NJ Transit train on July 12, 2015, is the focus of the first episode of Netflix's third season of Unsolved Mysteries, which starts streaming on Tuesday, Oct 18. The episode is titled, "Mystery at Mile Marker 45".

In a statement from the couple's attorney Paul D'Amato, the Valiantes said they are confident that the show's attention on the death will prompt someone to come forward with new information.

"We know so many others that also believe Tiffany's death was not suicide, that there was a rush to judgment to close the case, and that the real story of how and why she died has yet to be told. The combination of this new, deeply-researched, fact-based program, and the increased reward, might just be what's necessary to help get Tiff's case reopened."

Tiffany Valiante's death was ruled a suicide at the time after an investigation by NJ Transit Police, but her family never believed Tiffany committed suicide and they continue to the present day to pursue a murder investigation.

Tuesday's statement confirmed something I had wondered after seeing the Valiante family's determination to find answers they believe are waiting to be uncovered in Tiffany's death. How are they able to afford the ongoing cost of the lawyer, court motions, and an increasing reward for tips?

"Little known is that Stephen and Dianne had to re-mortgage their house, use their own savings to pay for DNA testing of evidence that was gathered but never examined after Tiffany's death, which was quickly ruled a suicide before a robust probe could be conducted.

 

Due to compromised or lost evidence, which included a bloody axe found at the scene, the nationally recognized forensic DNA lab's report was incomplete and inconclusive. I share the parents' belief that there are those who know what really happened to cause Tiff's death, but they've yet to come forward.