After nearly 50 years, FBI identifies “Lady of the Dunes” murder victim
Enlarge / The body of Ruth Marie Terry as she was found in 1974 in Provincetown, Massachusetts. (credit: Public domain)
A 12-year-old chasing after her barking dog discovered the mutilated body of a woman in the Race Point Dunes of Provincetown, Massachusetts, on July 26, 1974. Law enforcement was unable to identify the victim, who became known as the "Lady of the Dunes." Nearly 50 years later, on October 31, the FBI announced it finally identified the woman as Ruth Marie Terry, a native of Tennessee who was 37 at the time of her death.
The identification was made via genetic genealogy methods: a combination of DNA testing and profiling with traditional genealogical analysis to trace family trees-the same approach used to identify the Golden State Killer (former police officer Joseph James DeAngelo) in 2018. According to the FBI, Terry was born in 1936; had "connections" to the states of California, Massachusetts, and Michigan; and was a "daughter, sister, aunt, wife, and mother." Further details have not been released out of respect for her family-and also because the murder investigation is ongoing.
While we have identified Ruth as the victim of this horrific murder, it does not ease the pain for her family-nothing can," Joseph Bonavolonta, a special agent from the Boston branch of the FBI, said at a press conference announcing the identification. "But hopefully, they answer some questions while we continue to look for her killer. This is, without a doubt, a major break in the investigation that will hopefully bring us all closer to identifying the killer."