Human remains discovered in North Carolina nearly 49 years ago have been identified as a 15-year-old Maryland girl who disappeared in the spring of 1977. Authorities are now investigating the case as a homicide.
The skeletal remains were found in December 1977, several months after Cindy Marcell Blizzard went missing from Monkton, Maryland. The remains were located in a wooded area near a manufacturing plant in Wilson County, North Carolina, approximately five hours from her home.
At the time of discovery, a medical examiner estimated the remains had been at the site for six months to two years and belonged to a white female between 16 and 23 years old. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) stated that the circumstances surrounding the discovery suggested foul play, leading them to classify the case as a homicide.
For decades, the case remained cold due to limitations in forensic technology. Investigators attempted to identify the remains by comparing dental records with missing persons cases, but no match was found.
The investigation gained new momentum in 2010 when a state anthropologist reopened the case and submitted the remains for DNA testing. However, significant progress was not made until 2024, when the SBI’s Cold Case Investigative Team re-examined the case utilizing advanced forensic tools.
Through advanced DNA testing, forensic scientists extracted preserved genetic material from a bone sample. A genealogy service used this genetic profile to trace potential relatives, ultimately leading investigators to identify the remains as Cindy Marcell Blizzard. The SBI confirmed the identification with assistance from 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.
Investigators are continuing to seek answers regarding the circumstances of Blizzard’s death. 
