VBPD Uses Advanced DNA Tech to Recreate Face of 50-Year Cold Case Murder Victim

The Virginia Beach Police Department (VBPD) is requesting the public’s help to identify a woman whose remains were discovered 50 years ago.

In an effort to solve this historic cold case, the VBPD and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) partnered with Parabon NanoLabs, a Virginia-based DNA technology company specializing in advanced genetic analysis. Through DNA phenotyping—an advanced process that predicts physical appearance and geographic ancestry from DNA evidence—investigators have generated new leads that may finally determine this woman’s identity.

On May 30, 1976, the body of an unidentified woman was discovered in the water near the First Island of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Due to the condition of the remains, immediate identification was impossible. The OCME subsequently ruled the death a homicide, estimating the victim was killed within 48 hours of her discovery. Despite exhaustive investigative efforts over the decades, her identity remains a mystery.

The victim is described as a white female, believed to be between 35 and 45 years old, approximately 5’6” tall, and weighing between 135 and 145 pounds. Notably, she had a five-inch scar on the back of her right thigh and anatomical indications of having given birth at least once.

Using the genetic material recovered from the crime scene, Parabon NanoLabs generated precise trait predictions regarding the victim’s ancestry, eye color, hair color, skin tone, freckling, and facial structure. By combining these attributes, forensic artists produced a snapshot composite illustration depicting what the victim may have looked like at age 25 with an average Body Mass Index (BMI) of 22. These baseline metrics were used because chronological age and weight cannot be determined through DNA alone.

The VBPD emphasizes that snapshot composites are scientific approximations of physical appearance based entirely on genetics and are not exact replicas. Environmental variables such as smoking, diet, and alcohol consumption, alongside non-genetic features like hairstyles, facial hair, or scars, cannot be predicted by DNA analysis and may cause the victim's actual appearance to vary from the composite.

Detectives urge the public to review the composite profile and share it widely. Anyone who recognizes the description, recognizes the composite image, or possesses any information regarding this crime is asked to contact the Virginia Beach Cold Case Squad Tipline at 757-385-4241. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers at 1(888)-LOCK-U-UP or P3Tips.com. Additional details on active cold cases are available on the VBPD’s website under Cold Case Investigations.

There are currently more than 15,500 unresolved unidentified persons cases across the United States, and genetic technology represents the best opportunity to provide these victims with their names. Relatives of missing persons can voluntarily submit DNA samples—known as Family Reference Samples—to be compared strictly against unidentified human remains. These profiles are legally protected and cannot be utilized for any other law enforcement or investigative purpose.

If you have a close family member who is missing and you want to provide a Family Reference Sample for comparison against unidentified persons, please contact the local law enforcement agency with whom the missing person report was filed. Additional information can be found at CODIS and NDIS Fact Sheet — FBI.