The identity of a headless, handless body found 42 years ago in New York’s Hudson Valley has been identified by authorities through a genealogy database.
New York State Police announced they had identified the victim as Anna Papalardo-Blake, 44, who disappeared on 18 March 1980, after using a private firm to create a full genetic sequence of DNA recovered from the body.
Police said Papalardo-Blake left Vidal Sassoon on New York City’s 5th Avenue where she worked as a receptionist at around 6pm that evening.
Her remains were found in a trunk near a dumpster on the grounds of the Hudson View Apartment Complex in Fishkill, New York, two days later.
“For the past 42 years, investigators have followed hundreds of leads trying to identify the victim and the circumstances surrounding her death,” the state police said in a release.
“Because of recent advances in genetic technology, an identifiable DNA sample was obtained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigative Genealogy Team, in partnership with Othram, a private lab that specialises in cutting edge forensic DNA analysis.”
According to a report on Othram’s website, the Dutchess County Medical Examiner’s Office before being taken to Vassar Hospital in Poughkeepsie for an autopsy.
The suspected cause of death was not made public, and investigators initially thought the body belonged to a woman in her mid-20s, approximately 5ft 6 tall and weighing 135 pounds.
The case was placed on the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System in 2011 as investigators continued to pursue leads.
In May this year, the FBI handed its forensic evidence to Othram, which used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing to create a full DNA profile of the victim.
The FBI used the enhanced profile to conduct a search of genealogical databases, which provided the crucial breakthrough, Othram’s press release states.
Police did not say if they had identified a suspect, but asked that anyone with information about the case contact them on 845-677-7300.
