Massachusetts woman murdered in 1974 identified through genetic genealogy

The FBI announced Monday that after nearly five decades, police have identified a murder victim known as "Lady of the Dunes," whose body was found on a beach near Provincetown, Massachusetts, in July 1974. 

Ruth Marie Terry was identified through genetic genealogy, which combines DNA analysis with traditional genealogy to track down both victims and suspects in cold cases. 

"As investigators, cases like this one haunt us, and the agencies represented here today are constantly reevaluating and coming up with new investigative strategies to try and advance them," FBI Boston Special Agent in Charge Joseph Bonavolonta said at a news conference on Monday. 

"We also realize that while we have identified Ruth as the victim of this horrific murder, it does not ease the pain for her family—nothing can—but hopefully it answers some questions while we continue to look for her killer." 

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Terry – a daughter, sister, aunt, wife, and mother – was born in 1936 in Tennessee, but also had ties to California, Massachusetts, and Michigan. She was 37 when she was killed. 

A medical examiner determined at the time that she was murdered by a blow to the head, which was nearly severed from her body.

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Her hands were also missing so that she couldn't be identified through fingerprints, complicating efforts to track her last known whereabouts and locate the person responsible for her death. 

Investigators are now trying to learn more about her to identify a suspect in her case.