DNA Forensics helps in identifying Rebecca Sue Hill after Family mourned the wrong person for over 40 years
Forensic DNA analysis has once again helped in solving a cold case after authorities in Florida identified remains found nearly 41 years ago as Rebecca Sue Hill.
Investigators confirmed that Rebecca Sue Hill’s family mistakenly mourned the wrong person for decades, according to the Miami Herald.
The breakthrough came through forensic genetic genealogy, which helped law enforcement uncover Hill’s true identity and reopen an unsolved murder mystery.
A Misidentified Body and a Missing Teen
On April 18, 1984, authorities in Altoona, Florida, discovered the skeletal remains of a young woman near a dirt road in the Ocala National Forest.
With no immediate leads, the unidentified victim was given the name “Judy Doe.”
Investigators determined that the woman was between 17 and 20 years old, stood approximately 5'0” to 5'1” tall, and weighed about 100 pounds.
The cause of death was suspected to be homicide, but without an identity, the case went cold.
Meanwhile, in Little Rock, Arkansas, a separate set of remains was discovered between 1981 and 1982.
A grieving family, desperate for closure, mistakenly identified those remains as belonging to Rebecca Sue Hill, a 16 or 17-year-old girl who had vanished in 1981.
As a result, Hill was never listed in any missing persons database, making it even harder for investigators to connect the dots.
For years, authorities attempted to identify "Judy Doe" through skeletal recreations, dental records, and DNA testing, but every attempt failed.
With no missing persons report filed for Hill, her case remained an unsolved murder mystery, and her real identity remained a mystery—until now.
How DNA Forensics Solved the Case
In November 2023, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office turned to Othram, Inc., a private laboratory specializing in forensic genetic genealogy.
Using advanced DNA forensic analysis, scientists developed a comprehensive DNA profile and began tracing potential relatives.
By November 2024, investigators finally found a close relative, according to DNAsolves
A court-ordered DNA test confirmed that the remains found in Florida belonged to Rebecca Sue Hill—the girl who had been missing for over four decades.
The revelation meant that her family had been grieving the wrong person all these years.
"Rebecca was not in any database as missing due to remains being found in Little Rock, (Arkansas), and misidentified as Rebecca by a family member sometime in 1981 or 1982," the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Hill’s cold case murder is now being actively investigated, as authorities suspect foul play.
If you have any information, you can contact the Cold Case Team at 352-343-9529 or email [email protected]. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Crimeline at 800-423-8477 (TIPS).
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