CLEVELAND, Ohio — Nevada authorities on Wednesday say the remains of a body found in a garment bag in a remote area 45 years ago have been identified as woman from Cleveland.
Florence Charleston was in her late 60s when she moved to Portland, Oregon, shortly before her death, police tell the Associated Press. Police say advancements in DNA testing led to her identification.
Although an identification has made, plenty of questions remain in regard to Charleston’s death. Police still don’t know how her remains ended up in a shallow grave about 120 miles north of Reno, Nev.
KOLO Channel 8 reports the remains were found in the bag on Oct. 26, 1978. Fox 5 reports that women’s clothing also was found in the bag. The heavy decay of the remains prevented investigators at the time from identifying Charleston and from determining the cause of death.
Othram, a company that specializes in forensic genealogy, was able to identify the remains in March 2022, KOLO reports.
Police say family members had lost contact with Charleston after she moved to Portland, according to reports. Diane Liggitt, one of Charleston’s few surviving relatives, tells the AP she was around 18 when she learned from her father that her aunt had left for the Pacific Northwest with a new boyfriend sometime in the early 1970s.
Liggitt tells the AP she often thought about her Aunt “Dolly” over the years.
“Was she happy, or not? Was she safe?” Liggitt said. “All these questions I had and it turns out she was dead.”
Police are still investigating Charleston’s death. Anyone with information can contact Nevada State Police at 775-684-7456.