Cape Cod's 'Lady Of The Dunes' Murder Victim ID'd: What To Know

This story was updated at 11:19 a.m.

PROVINCETOWN, MA — The identity of the victim in Massachusetts' oldest unidentified homicide case has been revealed.

At a Monday news conference, representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and multiple other agencies answered a longstanding question in the case of the “Lady of the Dunes”: Who is she?

Ruth Marie Terry, of Tennesse, was revealed as the victim of the gruesome 1974 murder at Race Point Beach in Provincetown, according to a news release. She was 37 at the time of her death.

The FBI identified Terry using investigative genealogy, “a unique method that can generate new leads for unsolved homicides, as well as help identify unknown victims,” the agency said.

According to a case profile on the Provincetown website, the NAME was discovered in the dunes about a mile from the Race Point ranger station on July 26, 1974. Investigations determined that the cause of death was a "blow to the head," which they believe occurred weeks before her body was discovered.

The profile continues:

"The unidentified woman's 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 with an instrument similar to a military entrenching tool. The left side of her skull had been crushed. No weapon was found at the crime scene. Her nude body was discovered lying on a beach towel with her head resting on folded jeans. There was no sign of a struggle and the woman lay on half the towel, as if she'd been sharing it with a companion."

Terry’s body was exhumed in 2000 in hopes that it would help investigators confirm the woman's identity. In 2010, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Smithsonian Institution created a new composite of the victim.

Investigators have taken another step today, officials said.

“This is, without a doubt, a major break in the investigation that will, hopefully, bring all of us closer to identifying her killer,” said FBI Boston Special Agent in Charge Joseph Bonavolonta.

“Earlier this morning, FBI special agents and victim specialists, along with Troopers from the Massachusetts State Police delivered the news to the victim’s family, and we would like to ask all of you to respect their privacy at this time.”

In addition to Tennessee, investigators believe Terry had ties to California, Massachusetts and Michigan.

Officials said at the news conference that family members did put forth an effort to find Terry when they realized she went missing in the 1970s

Investigators will continue searching for Terry’s killer, Bonavolonta added. A new seeking information poster has been created for Terry, including new photos of the victim.