MONKTON, MD — A missing person's case that dates back decades in Baltimore County recently saw a major development after skeletal remains found in North Carolina were reexamined.
After nearly 50 years, investigators were able to link clothing and skeletal remains found in Wilson County, North Carolina, to Cindy Marcell Blizzard.
Blizzard was a 15-year-old girl who ran away from her Monkton home in the spring of 1977, according to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. Her remains were later discovered on Dec. 29, 1977, in a wooded area near a Firestone plant at 3001 Firestone Parkway in Wilson.
At the time, a medical examiner said the remains were those of a white female between 16 and 23 who could have been in the area for up to two years.
Her death was classified as undetermined but treated as a homicide due to the likelihood of foul play. However, it ultimately became a cold case after investigators weren't able to pinpoint any leads.
While the case was reopened in 2010 by a state anthropologist, it wasn't until 2024 — when a special SBI investigator was assigned — that officials were able to pull enough information for a forensic genealogy profile from a bone sample.
Officials identified Blizzard after matching her profile to potential relatives.
"With help 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 confirmed her identity," the bureau said in a release.
The cause of Blizzard's death, however, remains under investigation.
Anyone with information related to the case is asked to contact the SBI Cold Case Tip Line at (919) 582-8477 or by email at coldcases@ncsbi.gov. Individuals can also reach out to the Wilson County Sheriff's Office at (252) 237-2118.
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