Human remains found by a kayaker in Florida have been identified as belonging to Rose Marie Gayhart, a 23-year-old woman who disappeared over four decades ago. Her parents, residing in Dansville, New York, reported her missing in March 1985.
Prior to her disappearance, Gayhart lived and worked in the Cape Coral and North Fort Myers area, according to the Cape Coral Police Department. Authorities have been searching for her since her mysterious vanishing in southwest Florida. Gayhart had been living with her boyfriend, Robert Paddock, and his mother at the time, as reported by Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers in 2013.
Gayhart had relocated to the area just three months before disappearing, Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore informed Fox News Digital. Her family grew concerned when her usual letters and phone calls abruptly ceased, leading them to suspect something was wrong. Crime Stoppers noted that Gayhart’s relationship with her boyfriend was less than ideal.
Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore: “Gayhart was last seen walking down the street with a suitcase after being forced to leave the trailer where she stayed.”
Witnesses, including Paddock and his mother, revealed that a neighbor saw Gayhart using their phone to connect with her family. She confided in this neighbor about her pregnancy, stating her desire to keep the baby despite her boyfriend’s dissent.
A neighbor reported ongoing arguments and destruction in the trailer park one night. Gayhart had recently started working at Howie’s Hot Dogs in Cape Coral. On one occasion, her boyfriend went to collect her from work, but she had already left with a man in a red pickup truck, according to restaurant staff.
Two independent eyewitnesses observed Gayhart with a white male in the same type of vehicle before her disappearance. Identifying this person remains crucial to solving the case.
Identification After Decades
In May 2024, a kayaker in a northeast Cape Coral canal discovered a human skull and notified authorities. Through collaboration with a New York law enforcement agency, DNA from Gayhart’s family was secured, confirming her identity after two years of testing.
Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore: “For over 40 years, Gayhart’s family bore the burden of uncertainty about her fate. While identification provides long sought answers, it also deepens our commitment to justice.”
Though decades have passed, the case is now an active homicide investigation. Chief Sizemore is appealing for anyone with relevant information to step forward to aid in bringing resolution to the family and accountability to this case.