The “Lady of the Dunes” – Massachusetts’ oldest unidentified homicide victim – was identified Monday, nearly 50 years after she was found dead and dismembered in Provincetown. Ruth Marie Terry, 37, of Tennessee, was found dead in the dunes about a mile east of Race Point Ranger Station on July 26, 1974. Police believe she was murdered several weeks before her body was not be found. The FBI identified Terry using investigative genealogy – a unique method that can generate new leads for unsolved homicides, as well as identify unknown victims, officials said. The official cause of death was listed as blunt force trauma to the head with signs of strangulation and sexual assault. Both of the victim’s hands were amputated and it appears the killer attempted to pull his teeth, officials said. No weapon was found at the crime scene. Terry’s naked body was discovered lying on a beach blanket with his head resting on folded jeans. Special Agent in Charge Joseph Bonavolonta said FBI special agents and victim specialists, along with Massachusetts State Police troopers, broke the news to the victim’s family on Monday. five decades, investigators worked to identify the victim through various means, including neighborhood webs; examination of thousands of cases of missing persons; Clay facial reconstruction models and age regression drawings, officials said. Since the crime was committed, many investigative and scientific techniques have improved or been created through new technological advancements. One method is investigative genealogy, which combines the use of DNA analysis with traditional genealogical research and historical records to generate investigative leads for unsolved violent crimes. As investigators, cases like this haunt us, and the agencies represented here today are constantly re-evaluating and coming up with new investigative strategies to try to move them forward. We also realize that although we have identified Ruth as the victim of this horrific murder, it does not ease her family’s pain – nothing can – but hopefully it answers some questions as we continue to search for her killer. Bonavolonta said. Besides Tennessee, investigators believe Terry had ties to California, Massachusetts and Michigan. The case is being investigated as a homicide by Massachusetts State Police, assigned to the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office, the Provincetown Police Department and the FBI. The FBI released a new poster seeking information and asked anyone with information to call the FBI hotline at 1-800-225-5324 or the Massachusetts State Police at 1- 800-527-8873 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi. .gov or MSPtips@pol.state.ma.us.
The “Lady of the Dunes” – Massachusetts’ oldest unidentified homicide victim – was identified on Monday, nearly 50 years after she was found dead and dismembered in Provincetown.
Ruth Marie Terry, 37, of Tennessee, was found dead in the dunes about a mile east of Race Point Ranger Station on July 26, 1974. Police believe she was murdered several weeks before her body is found.
The FBI identified Terry using investigative genealogy — a unique method that can generate new leads for unsolved homicides and help identify unknown victims, officials said.
The official cause of death was listed as blunt force trauma to the head with signs of strangulation and sexual assault. Both of the victim’s hands were amputated and it appears the killer attempted to pull his teeth, officials said.
No weapon was found at the scene of the crime. Terry’s naked body was discovered lying on a beach blanket with his head resting on folded jeans.
“This is, without a doubt, a major break in the investigation that will hopefully bring us all one step closer to identifying his killer,” said Joseph Bonavolonta, FBI Special Agent in Boston.
FBI special agents and victim specialists, along with Massachusetts State Police troopers, broke the news to the victim’s family on Monday.
For nearly five decades, investigators worked to identify the victim through various means, including neighborhood surveys; examination of thousands of cases of missing persons; clay model facial reconstruction and age regression drawings, officials said.
Since the crime was committed, many investigative and scientific techniques have improved or been created through new technological advancements.
One method is investigative genealogy, which combines the use of DNA analysis with traditional genealogical research and historical records to generate investigative leads for unsolved violent crimes.
As investigators, cases like this haunt us, and the agencies represented here today are constantly re-evaluating and coming up with new investigative strategies to try to move them forward. We also realize that although we have identified Ruth as the victim of this horrific murder, it does not ease the pain of her family – nothing can – but hopefully it answers some questions as we continue to search. his killer,” Bonavolonta said.
In addition to Tennessee, investigators believe Terry had ties to California, Massachusetts and Michigan.
The case is being investigated as a homicide by Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office, the Provincetown Police Department and the FBI.
The FBI has released a new information search poster and asked anyone with information to call the FBI hotline at 1-800-225-5324 or the Massachusetts State Police at 1-800-527-8873 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov or MSPtips@pol.state.ma.us.