Authorities have announced a significant breakthrough in a cold case dating back almost five decades. They identified human remains found in North Carolina as belonging to Cindy Marcell Blizzard, a 15-year-old girl who disappeared from Maryland. The remains were discovered more than six months after Blizzard went missing in 1977, according to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI).
Although the manner of Blizzard’s death remains undetermined, the case is being investigated as a homicide. The remains were found in a wooded area near a manufacturing facility in Wilson County, located approximately five hours south of Blizzard’s Maryland home. The SBI indicated that the circumstances of the discovery suggested foul play.
On December 29, 1977, skeletal remains and clothing were found near a Firestone plant that manufactures vehicle tires. A medical examiner concluded that the remains had likely been present for six months to two years and belonged to a white female between 16 and 23 years old. For years, investigators struggled to identify the remains due to limitations in forensic technology.
“Investigators compared dental records against missing persons cases without finding a match,” noted the SBI.
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. Investigative momentum picked up in 2024 when the SBI’s Cold Case Investigative Team reviewed the case with new forensic tools unavailable in 1977.
Once the case qualified for advanced DNA testing, forensic scientists extracted preserved genetic material from a bone sample. A genealogy service traced the genetic profile to potential relatives, directing investigators to Blizzard, a runaway from Monkton, Maryland.
Collaboration with 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 led to the identification of Blizzard. Investigators are continuing to explore the circumstances of Blizzard’s death.
Bonny Chu is a writer for Fox News Digital, focusing on breaking and trending news.