Nearly 50 years after her mutilated body was found on a Massachusetts beach, the FBI has identified the so-called “Lady of the Dunes” through DNA analysis, historical records and genealogical research.
The victim of the brutal 1974 murder, which was never solved, was Ruth Marie Terry, a native of Tennessee who was 37 at the time of her death, the FBI said.
“Ruth was a daughter, sister, aunt, wife, and mother,” FBI Special Agent Joe Bonavolonta told reporters, urging anyone with information about what he called a “notorious cold case” to get going, according to RTE.
The FBI issued a new bulletin seeking information on Ms. Terry’s murder, which included four images of the now-identified victim.
“While we have identified Ruth as the victim of this horrific murder, it does not ease the pain for her family — nothing can — but hopefully it answers some questions while we continue to look for her killer,” Mr Bonavolonta said, reported RTE.
Since the 1974 murder, investigators have followed the lead with no luck. Although they had several suspects, they never had a name for the victim.
Ms. Terry’s body was found on July 26, 1974 on a beach in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod.
She was hit on the head, probably several weeks before. She had had her hands cut off, presumably to make it more difficult to identify her, Bonavolonta explained.
“And her head was nearly severed from her body,” he added, according to RTE.
No weapons were found near her body.
The FBI said authorities were unable to identify the victim despite decades of efforts, including reviewing thousands of missing persons reports, questioning locals and trying to reconstruct her face using clay models.
The “investigative genealogy” has finally paid off. It is the use of DNA evidence combined with public records and traditional genealogical research.
Ms. Bonavolonta emphasized that no DNA results were consulted in private databases for the case.
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