Authorities have revealed a significant development in a longstanding cold case, identifying human remains found almost 49 years ago in North Carolina as a missing 15-year-old girl from Maryland. The remains belonged to Cindy Marcell Blizzard, who disappeared in 1977, according to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI).
The skeletal remains were discovered over six months after Blizzard went missing. They were located in a wooded area near a manufacturing facility in Wilson County, roughly five hours from Blizzard’s home.
The SBI has stated that the manner of death is undetermined, but the case is being treated as a homicide. Investigators have deemed the circumstances of the location and recovery suggestive of foul play.
“The circumstances surrounding the location and recovery of the remains raised the probability of foul play, and the investigators are treating the case as a homicide,”
the SBI said.
The initial discovery took place on December 29, 1977, near a Firestone plant. A medical examiner determined the remains likely belonged to a white female aged 16-23 and had been present for six months to two years.
For years, efforts to match the remains with dental records from missing persons cases failed due to insufficient forensic technology. The case went cold until it was reopened in 2010 by a state anthropologist.
Further breakthroughs came in 2024 with the use of advanced forensic tools unavailable in 1977. DNA testing of preserved genetic material from a bone sample finally traced the remains to Blizzard.
The successful identification involved the FBI’s NCIC Investigation and Operational Assistance Group, the Maryland Department of State Police Homicide Unit, and the Raleigh Police Department’s Intel Unit.
Investigators continue their search for answers regarding Blizzard’s death, seeking further insights into the case.
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