FBI Identifies 'Lady Of The Dunes' Nearly 50 Years After She Was Found Dead And Dismembered

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has finally been able to identify the "Lady of the Dunes," an unidentified murder victim whose dismembered body was discovered on a Massachusetts beach in 1974. The agency made it possible through DNA analysis, genealogy research and an array of historical records.

The deceased woman was identified as Ruth Marie Terry, a 37-year-old Tennessee resident whose murder was never solved, the FBI announced Monday. In a press conference held outside of Boston, FBI special agent Joe Bonavolonta urged anyone who might have any information on the cold case to come forward.

According to FBI reports, Terry was found dead in the dunes inside the Cape Cod National Seashore in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on July 26, 1974. Her hands were missing and her head was almost severed from the body. Her skull had suffered damage from the blow to her head, and she had been sexually assaulted with a wooden object. However, her body had no signs of struggle, leading the authorities to believe that her attacker was likely known to her. Her body was identified by a 13-year-old girl, The Boston Globe reported.

Investigative genealogy, which combines traditional genealogy with DNA analysis, was used to identify the woman. "Many investigative and scientific techniques have either improved or been created through new advances in technology," said Bonavolonta.

Previously, methods such as missing person case reviews, clay model facial reconstruction, neighborhood canvasses, and age-regression drawings had been used to try and know the true identity of the victim. However, none had succeeded in the 48 years for which the case had been lying cold in police files. It eventually ended up becoming one of the more infamously unsolved cases in police history.

The Massachusetts State Police had assigned the case to the Office of the Provincetown Police Department, the Cape and Islands District Attorney, and the FBI.

Local District Attorney Michael O'Keefe speculated Monday that the murderer of Ruth was probably deceased, but the authorities will try their best to identify them.

Police also said that the reason for Terry being in Provincetown at the time of her murder has not been uncovered yet. The investigators said that in addition to Tennessee, the deceased woman had ties to California, Massachusetts, and Michigan.