Possible Blood Found In Car Tied To Woman's Disappearance

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TEXAS — FBI investigators have detected the possible presence of blood in a car tied to the case of a woman missing from Williamson County since January 2002, the sheriff's office said in a press advisory.

The Williamson County Sheriff's Office said on Wednesday that an item on the passenger floorboard of a Pontiac Trans Am and another on the passenger door molding tested positive for the possible presence of blood. The car found in the Dallas area last spring followed a tip in the disappearance of Rachel Louise Cooke was transported to Williamson County for FBI forensic analysis, according to the press release.

The sheriff's office said further testing will be conducted, with more details on results to be released at a later date.

Cooke, 19, disappeared after going out jogging by herself near her parents' Georgetown home on Jan. 10, 2002. The teenager was on Christmas break from California where she attended college.

Related story: $100K Reward For Tips On Whereabouts Of Williamson County Woman Missing 15 Years

Law enforcement officials continue to urge anyone with information on the case to dial 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov . Those with information also can contact their local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or consulate. A $100,000 reward is being offered for information leading to Cooke's location.

News of the possible blood presence in the car comes nearly a year to the day that the FBI announced the reward for information useful to their investigation. The missing woman was described as being five feet, three inches tall and weighing 115 lbs. She is described as a Caucasian woman with blue/hazel eyes and blonde hair with high/low lights. She had two heart-shaped cherries tattooed on her left foot near her pinky toe, multiple ear piercings and a navel piercing, law enforcement officials said at the time.

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>>> Images courtesy of FBI