Officials used investigative genealogy to locate a woman whose mutilated body was found on Cape Cod National Seashore nearly 50 years ago, solving the mystery of the “Lady of the Dunes” that had eluded authorities for decades. The woman has been identified as Ruth Marie Terry of Tennessee, who was 37 when she was killed, officials said Monday. The news was delivered to her family Monday morning, according to Joseph Bonavolonda, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston division. Authorities hope the woman’s identity can help solve one of Massachusetts’ most famous unsolved murders. Her body was found in the dunes in Provincetown in July 1974. She was naked on a beach blanket with her hands cut off – so she couldn’t be identified by her fingerprints, officials believe. Her skull is crushed and she is nearly decapitated. The cause of death was determined to be a blow to the head, and authorities believe she was killed several weeks before her body was found. “This is, without a doubt, an important break in the investigation that will hopefully bring us all closer to finding the killer,” Bonavolonta said. Authorities identified her through investigative genealogy, using DNA analysis combined with traditional genealogical research and historical records, Bonavolonta said. Officials have released few details about Terry other than that she was a daughter, sister, aunt, wife and mother and had ties to California, Massachusetts and Michigan. “Now that we have reached this critical point, investigators and analysts will turn their attention to conducting logical investigative steps that include learning more about her as well as working to identify who is responsible for her murder,” said Bonavolonta. He was the oldest unidentified homicide victim in Massachusetts. Authorities spent decades trying to identify her and her killer by exhuming her remains, performing clay facial reconstructions, and releasing regression drawings of her face. Investigators had long said she had long red or brown hair and believed she was somewhere between 20 and 40 years old. The FBI has released a flyer with photos of Terry and is asking anyone with information about the case to contact authorities.
