Lady of the Dunes identified after nearly 50 years

By adamg on Mon, 10/31/2022 - 12:03pm

The FBI reports it's identified the body of a woman found dead in dunes in the Cape Cod National Seashore in Provincetown in 1974 as Ruth Marie Terry, 37 of Tennessee.

Agents used investigative genealogy, which "combines the use of DNA analysis with traditional genealogy research and historical records to generate investigative leads for unsolved violent crimes" to identify Terry, the FBI said.

State and Provincetown Police and the Cape and Islands District Attorney's office continue to investigate her homicide, the FBI said.

On July 26, 1974, Terry was found deceased in the dunes about a mile east of the Race Point Ranger station inside the Cape Cod National Seashore in Provincetown, MA. The cause of death was determined at the time to be a blow to the head and is estimated to have occurred several weeks prior. Her hands were missing, presumably removed by the killer so she could not be identified through fingerprints, and her head was nearly severed from her body.

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Comments

I’ve walked past her grave in

By Homer Bedloe on Mon, 10/31/2022 - 1:06pm.

I’ve walked past her grave in Provincetown many times. I hope her family can bow begin the healing process.

I wondered when she would be identified

By SwirlyGrrl on Mon, 10/31/2022 - 8:45pm.

So many of these mysteries are now being solved using DNA analysis and geneological investigation. This was one that I thought of often. Looks like her not being local combined with people not being reported missing (or missing persons reports being rebuffed by law enforcement generally) in the time period led to her identification being a 50 year ordeal.

May she rest in peace and may her family find closure. I also hope for justice.

Edited to add: Steven King's son Joe Hill has long speculated that she was an extra in Jaws.

Maybe her killer was an extra too.

By Lee on Wed, 11/02/2022 - 8:50am.

Or some transient or tourist. I don’t remember ever reading about a similar murder in the area.
Some weirdo murderers are not able to stop at one victim.

How sad for her friends and family. And for the young girl who found her body.

I thought of the "Boy In The

By Chris77 on Wed, 11/02/2022 - 8:47am.

I thought of the "Boy In The Box" case in Philadelphia.