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North Carolina remains found in 1977 identified as Maryland teen runaway

Human remains discovered in 1977 were identified as Cindy Marcell Blizzard, prompting a homicide probe, Fox News reports.

The short version

  • Authorities identified human remains discovered in 1977 in North Carolina as 15-year-old Cindy Marcell Blizzard, who ran away from Maryland earlier that year.[Fox News]
  • The skeletal remains were originally discovered near a manufacturing plant in Wilson County in December 1977.[Fox News]
  • State investigators reopened the case for DNA analysis and applied advanced forensic tools in 2024 to confirm her identity.[Fox News]
  • While Blizzard's official manner of death remains undetermined, police are treating the ongoing investigation as a homicide.[Fox News]

Key facts

  • Human remains discovered on December 29, 1977, in Wilson County, North Carolina, were identified as 15-year-old Cindy Marcell Blizzard of Maryland.[Fox News]
  • The case was reopened in 2010 for DNA testing and reviewed again in 2024 using newer forensic tools.[Fox News]
  • Authorities are investigating the disappearance and death as a homicide.[Fox News]

What remains uncertain

  • The official manner and specific cause of Cindy Marcell Blizzard's death remain undetermined.[Fox News]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.