Accident – Death – Obituary News :

Body Found in Las Vegas Vacant Lot Identified as Ohio Woman in Search of Father

A body discovered in a vacant lot near the vibrant Las Vegas Strip in 1979 has finally been identified as that of a 19-year-old woman who had traveled all the way from Ohio in search of her long-lost father. This breakthrough comes after over four decades of mystery surrounding the young woman’s identity.

Thanks to the relentless efforts of the Texas-based company, Othram Labs, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has now confirmed that the woman, who was found with her nails and toes painted red at the time of her death, is Gwenn Marie Story. It is believed that she was brutally beaten and stabbed to death.

The tragedy unfolded when Gwenn Marie Story embarked on a journey from the Cincinnati area to Las Vegas in the summer of 1979, accompanied by two male friends. Astonishingly, these friends, whose identities remain unknown, are believed to be still alive today. The nature of their relationship with Story and their potential involvement in her untimely demise remains a mystery. They returned to Cincinnati without her later that month.

“Those two males, irrespective of their involvement as suspects, may possess crucial information about the people Gwenn was last seen with or left in the company of,” said Terri Miller, a cold case investigator from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, in an interview with KLAS-TV.

Story’s mother, who tirelessly pursued answers to her daughter’s disappearance, made several trips to Las Vegas over the past four decades. Regrettably, she passed away last year without ever discovering the truth behind her daughter’s fate.

Gwenn Marie Story’s ultimate destination was California, where she believed her biological father resided. However, tragically, she never made it there.

A witness at the time reported seeing Story entering a liquor store alongside an unknown man approximately an hour before her lifeless body was discovered. The man was described as having a slim build and a mustache that differed in color from his hair.

Before her true identity was known, Story was referred to as “Sahara Sue Doe” due to the location of her body along the northern edge of the Strip, close to the Sahara hotel-casino.

In a heartfelt statement, Story’s family expressed their gratitude towards the dedicated detectives from the LVMPD who had relentlessly worked for decades to identify the young woman’s remains. They also implored anyone with knowledge of the incident to come forward, stating, “We are yearning for closure in this case. Our family desperately seeks answers, and any assistance would be greatly appreciated.”

Gwenn Marie Story was laid to rest in a cemetery plot designated for the coroner’s office, as confirmed by KLAS.

Othram Labs, a reputable private DNA testing lab, has made numerous significant breakthroughs throughout this year. Just recently, they successfully identified the remains of a man who had been on the run from rape charges in 1999. Additionally, in October, they positively identified Suzanne Kjellenberg, a victim of the notorious “Happy Face Killer,” nearly 30 years after her tragic demise.

If you have any information regarding Gwenn Marie Story’s death, please reach out to Crime Stoppers at (702) 385-5555.

With Associated Press

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