Identification of Remains Linked to 1977 Disappearance of Maryland Teen

Authorities announced a significant development in a cold case, identifying human remains found nearly 49 years ago in North Carolina as belonging to Cindy Marcell Blizzard, a 15-year-old girl who disappeared from Maryland. The skeletal remains were discovered more than six months after Blizzard went missing in the spring of 1977, according to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI). The manner of death remains undetermined, but the case is being investigated as a homicide. The remains were located in a wooded area near a Wilson County manufacturing facility, approximately five hours south of Blizzard’s home. The SBI stated that the circumstances surrounding the location and recovery of the remains suggest the possibility of foul play, leading investigators to treat the case as a homicide. The remains and clothing were found on December 29, 1977, near a Firestone plant that produces vehicle tires. A medical examiner determined that the remains likely had been at the site for six months to two years and belonged to a white female between 16 and 23 years old. The case went cold for decades due to limitations in forensic technology at the time. The SBI noted that investigators had compared dental records against missing persons cases without finding a match. In 2010, a state anthropologist reopened the case and submitted the remains for DNA testing, cross-referencing the results with federal databases. However, significant progress was not made until 2024 when the SBI’s Cold Case Investigative Team reviewed the case again using advanced forensic tools. The case qualified for advanced DNA testing, and forensic scientists extracted preserved genetic material from a bone sample. A genealogy service used the profile to trace potential relatives, leading investigators to Blizzard, who had run away from Monkton, Maryland, in the spring of 1977. The identification was made with assistance from 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 to search for answers regarding Blizzard’s death.