Investigators in North Carolina say they have solved a key mystery in a cold case that sat unanswered for nearly half a century, identifying human remains found in 1977 as those of Cindy Marcell Blizzard, a 15-year-old runaway from Maryland.
Blizzard disappeared in the spring of 1977, and her skeletal remains were recovered more than six months later, according to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.
Officials said the cause and manner of death have not been determined. However, investigators are treating the case as a homicide after the remains were found in a wooded area near a Wilson County manufacturing facility, about five hours south of Blizzard’s home.
The “circumstances surrounding the location and recovery of the remains raised the probability of foul play, and the investigators are treating the case as a homicide,” the SBI said.
Authorities have identified human remains discovered nearly 49 years ago as those of Maryland runaway teen Cindy Marcell Blizzard. (North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation)
Officials said the remains, along with clothing, were discovered on Dec. 29, 1977, near a Firestone plant that manufactures vehicle tires.
At the time, a medical examiner concluded the remains had likely been at the site for anywhere from six months to two years and belonged to a white female believed to be between 16 and 23 years old.
For decades, the case remained unsolved, with authorities noting that forensic science at the time lacked the tools needed to confirm the victim’s identity.
“For years, investigators compared dental records against missing persons cases without finding a match,” the SBI said.
FILE — A road runs through a wooded area in Asheville, North Carolina. Investigators are pursuing a homicide probe in the case of a missing teen whose remains were found in a wooded area. (George Rose/Getty Images)
The case was reopened in 2010 by a state anthropologist, who submitted the remains for DNA testing and cross-referenced the results with federal databases, officials said.
However, the investigation did not gain momentum until 2024, when the SBI’s Cold Case Investigative Team reviewed the case again using forensic tools that did not exist in 1977.
When the case qualified for advanced DNA testing, forensic scientists extracted preserved genetic material from a bone sample, according to the authorities.
“A genealogy service used the profile to trace potential relatives, pointing investigators toward a 15-year-old girl who had run away from Monkton, Maryland, in the spring of 1977,” the SBI said.
The identification was made with assistance from the FBI’s NCIC Investigation and Operational Assistance Group, the Maryland Department of State Police Homicide Unit and the Raleigh Police Department’s Intel Unit, authorities said.
FILE — A young doctor conducts research in a laboratory. Forensic teams in North Carolina have identified the skeletal remains found nearly 49 years ago in Wilson County. (iStock)
Investigators continue to search for answers surrounding Blizzard’s death.
