Remains found 49 years ago in North Carolina identified as teen runaway
Skeletal remains found in North Carolina in 1977 have been identified as those of Cindy Marcell Blizzard, a 15-year-old girl who ran away from her home in Monkton, Maryland, investigators said.
Nearly 50 years after their discovery, skeletal remains found in a wooded area near a manufacturing plant in North Carolina have been identified as those of 15-year-old runaway Cindy Marcell Blizzard. The remains, which were unearthed on December 29, 1977, were believed to have been there for six months to two years, according to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.
The unidentified remains were initially treated as a homicide due to the surrounding circumstances, but no suspects were ever identified and the victim's identity could not be confirmed. Dental records were used to examine the remains, but no match was found. The case was eventually closed in 2010 when a state anthropologist reopened it and submitted the teeth for DNA testing.
Although no matches were found initially, the genetic profiles were entered into national databases. In 2024, a special investigator from the bureau's Cold Case Investigative Team reviewed the case. Forensic DNA analysis was conducted, allowing investigators to trace potential relatives and ultimately identify Blizzard.
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