Cold case takes grim turn after remains identified as runaway teen; homicide investigation underway

Human remains discovered in North Carolina nearly 49 years ago have been identified as Cindy Marcell Blizzard, a 15-year-old girl who disappeared from Maryland in 1977. The skeletal remains were found in a wooded area and the case is being investigated as a homicide due to the circumstances. Advanced DNA testing and genetic genealogy were instrumental in identifying Blizzard after decades of the case going cold.

• Human remains found in North Carolina in 1977 identified as 15-year-old runaway Cindy Marcell Blizzard from Maryland.
• Blizzard disappeared in the spring of 1977, and her skeletal remains were discovered six months later.
• The manner of death is undetermined, but the case is being investigated as a homicide.
• The remains were found near a Wilson County manufacturing facility.
• The case was reopened in 2010 and gained momentum in 2024 with advanced forensic tools, including DNA testing and genetic genealogy.
• Investigators are still searching for answers surrounding Blizzard’s death.