“Gwenn Marie Story, Teenager from Ohio, Identified as Victim Found Dead in Las Vegas in 1979”

Accident – Death – Obituary News : LAS VEGAS — In a significant breakthrough, authorities have finally identified a body discovered in an open field near the bustling intersection of the Las Vegas Strip in 1979. The body has been confirmed to belong to Gwenn Marie Story, a 19-year-old teenager from Ohio who had left her home that year in search of her biological father. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department made this announcement on Tuesday, stating that advancements in DNA testing played a crucial role in the identification process.

The body, which had remained unidentified for 44 years, was referred to as “Sahara Sue Doe” due to the location where it was found. A man stumbled upon the body on the night of August 14, 1979, while walking through a vacant lot near the northern edge of the Las Vegas Strip. The victim had distinct features, including wavy hair and red-painted fingernails and toenails. Today, the Strat Hotel dominates the nearby intersection, which is also home to the Sahara hotel-casino.

According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, authorities believe that the victim had died within 24 hours prior to the discovery. An autopsy revealed that she had been the victim of a homicide, although her identity remained a mystery until last September when investigators joined forces with a private DNA testing laboratory. The partnership eventually led to the identification of Gwenn Marie Story.

In a statement, Othram, a forensic genealogy analysis specialist, highlighted their role in building a comprehensive DNA profile for the woman. This profile enabled authorities to connect with potential relatives who provided DNA samples. The samples confirmed that “Sahara Sue Doe” was indeed the missing Ohio teen.

Story’s family informed the police that she had left Cincinnati in the summer of 1979, embarking on a journey to find her father in California. She was accompanied by two male friends during her travels. Unfortunately, Story’s family never heard from her again. When the two friends returned to the Cincinnati area in August of that year, they informed the family that they had left Story in Las Vegas.

Now that Story’s identity has been established, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is shifting its focus to investigating the two friends and determining how Story ended up dead near the Las Vegas Strip.

This breakthrough in Story’s case highlights the advancements in genetic testing that have led to more identifications and arrests in long-unsolved cases in recent years. These developments have been particularly significant in missing persons, homicide investigations, and sexual assault cases.

Earlier this year, Othram also assisted Nevada State Police in identifying another victim who remained nameless for 45 years. The heavily decayed remains of Florence Charleston were found in a garment bag in a remote area of northern Nevada in October 1978, less than a year before Story’s body was discovered in Las Vegas. Charleston, like Story, had also gone missing from Ohio.

With the help of cutting-edge DNA technology and collaborative efforts between law enforcement agencies and private laboratories, more cold cases are being solved and justice is being served for victims and their families..