1. Jane Doe cold case Illinois
2. Cincinnati woman cold case identified.
Accident – Death – Obituary News :
CINCINNATI — A 20-year-old woman from Cincinnati who went missing almost 50 years ago has been identified as the victim in a cold case in Illinois. The Grundy County Coroner’s Office made the announcement on Thursday, revealing that JoAnn “Vicky” Smith was the woman found murdered in 1976.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) stated that Smith’s family last saw her when she was 20 years old and living in Cincinnati. The breakthrough in identifying her came through investigative genetic genealogy efforts by the Coroner’s Office, with support from NCMEC’s analytical resources and case management.
ABC-affiliate ABC7 Chicago reported that Smith’s body was discovered on a farm near Seneca, Illinois, on October 2, 1976, with a gunshot wound to her head. Despite the passage of time, no suspect has ever been arrested in connection with her murder. She was laid to rest in an unmarked grave at the Braceville-Gardner Cemetery on Thanksgiving Day in 1976.
Relative Ronnie Smith, speaking to ABC7, expressed mixed emotions about the news: “My mother held out hope until her dying day. It’s bittersweet… bitter because of the awful fate that Vicky met, but sweet that we can put closure to this and bring her home.”
Smith’s adoption in her early years posed challenges for investigators, but through adoption records and genealogy research, she was finally identified in May. Now, her family and law enforcement officials are determined to find the person responsible for her tragic death.
Plans are underway for a celebration of life for Smith, where she will be laid to rest alongside her parents in South Carolina. The search for justice continues as her loved ones seek closure and answers in this long-standing mystery.
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– Jane Doe Illinois cold case
– Cincinnati woman identified in 50-year-old Illinois cold case.
