The Remains of Gwenn Marie Story Identified after 44 Years

The remains of a woman found lying in the dirt on the Las Vegas strip over four decades ago in a homicide case that went cold have finally been identified.

The woman, previously known only as ‘Sahara Sue Doe,’ has now been positively identified as Gwenn Marie Story, a 19-year-old who went missing in 1979, as announced by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department on Tuesday.

The discovery of the mysterious remains had puzzled investigators for over forty years, who believed that the woman had fallen victim to a homicide but were unable to ascertain her true identity.

In September 2022, a breakthrough occurred in the cold case investigation when the LVMPD enlisted the expertise of Othram, a company specializing in cold case resolution through forensic genetic genealogy investigation.

Through diligent pursuit of leads, detectives were able to locate and contact potential family members who willingly provided DNA samples for comparison with those of Sahara Sue Doe.

After a year of intensive investigation and testing, Othram conclusively determined on 15 November 2023 that the remains indeed belonged to Gwenn Marie Story.

While the identification of Story’s remains marks a significant breakthrough in the case and offers solace to those who had wondered about her fate, the circumstances surrounding her untimely demise still remain shrouded in mystery.

Story’s lifeless body was discovered on 14 August 1979 by a passerby in an open field near Sahara Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard, the former location of the El Rancho Vegal Hotel and Casino.

An autopsy conducted by the Clark County Coroner’s Office confirmed her death as a homicide, but the investigation yielded no concrete leads to identify her.

Consequently, she was given the moniker ‘Sahara Sue Doe’ in reference to the place where she was found.

Now that Story’s true identity has come to light, cold case investigators have learned from her family members that the teenager had departed Cincinnati, Ohio, during the summer of 1979 with the intention of locating her biological father in California.

According to the police, she embarked on this journey accompanied by two male friends, who subsequently returned to Cincinnati in August 1979.

Upon their return, these friends informed Story’s family that they had left her in Las Vegas.

Story continues

Regrettably, Story’s family never heard from her again after she departed Cincinnati.

In a statement provided to 8 News Now, her family expressed profound gratitude to the LVMPD for their assistance and expressed a fervent hope for further answers regarding the circumstances surrounding Story’s fate.

“Finally, after 44 years of not knowing what happened to our sister Gwenn Story, we have news that she has been identified,” they said.

“We are looking for some closure on this case. Our family just wants some answers; we would really appreciate the help.”

The LVMPD Homicide Cold Case Section is actively continuing its investigation into this case and urges anyone with information about Gwenn Marie Story or her two male companions to come forward and contact them.