Cape Coral Police Identify Human Remains Found in Canal as Rose Marie Gayhart, Who Disappeared in 1985
The Cape Coral Police Department has identified human remains discovered in a canal in northeastern Cape Coral in May 2024 as belonging to Rose Marie Gayhart. Rose Marie Gayhart was a 23-year-old woman from Dansville, New York, who was reported missing by her parents in March 1985. Investigators from the Violent Crimes Unit worked with a local medical examiner's office and the Livingston County Sheriff's Office in New York to confirm the identity using DNA samples provided by her family. The remains were found by kayakers and have now been officially designated as an active homicide investigation. Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore stated that the identification provides long-awaited answers for the family. While neighbors and family members previously suspected she was murdered, the specific cause of death and the primary suspect remains to be determined. Police are seeking any information that can help bring closure to the case.
Sources
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Remains found by kayakers in Florida identified as woman who vanished in 1985 as police seek killer
CBS News
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Cape Coral police identify remains found in 2024 as Rose Marie Gayhart who vanished in 1985
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Remains found in Florida canal identified as Upstate NY woman missing for 41 years
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