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WILSON, N.C. (WNCN) — Human remains found in Wilson County nearly 50 years ago have been identified, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation said Tuesday.
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According to the SBI, skeletal remains and clothing were discovered in a wooded area near the Firestone plant at 3001 Firestone Parkway in Wilson on Dec. 29, 1977.
The North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the victim was a female between the age of 16 to 23 whose remains had been in the area between six months to two years, according to the SBI.
Officials said they were unable to match the dental records with a missing persons case using the forensic tools of the time. A state anthropologist reopened the case in 2010, but was also unable to find a match after submitting the victim’s teeth for DNA testing.
According to the officials, the case was reviewed again by the SBI Cold Case Investigative Team in 2024.
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With the help of modern forensic tools and multiple agencies, according to the SBI, investigators identified the remains as 15-year-old Cindy Marcell Blizzard, who ran away from Monkton, Maryland in the spring of 1977 and had been missing for more than 49 years.
Cindy’s death remains unsolved, according to the SBI.
Although the medical examiner’s office was unable to determine a cause of death, officials said they are treating the case as a homicide because the circumstances surrounding the location and recovery of Cindy’s remains indicate foul play.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the SBI Cold Case Tip Lane at 919-582-8477 or [email protected] or the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office at 252-237-2118.
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