Illinois cold case finally solved nearly 50 years later

MORRIS, Ill. (CBS) – A woman found murdered on the side of a rural road about 50 miles southwest of Chicago in 1976 has been identified, officials announced Thursday.

The woman found dead in Grundy County had been nameless. Officials identified her on Thursday as JoAnne "Vicki" Smith, who was only 20 years old when she died.

Detectives said the woman's DNA led them to surviving relatives. Earlier this year, a DNA match led authorities to identify the body as Smith's.

For nearly 50 years, her family has wondered what happened to their loved one, who vanished from their home in Ohio in 1976.

"The case went cold," said John Callahan, the Grundy County coroner.

But then in 2018, the coroner's office took another look and the unidentified woman's remains were exhumed. This year, the woman's genetic profile led investigators to the Smith family, originally from Ohio.

"I remember that morning that she went missing," said Ronnie Smith, her brother.

Ronnie said JoAnne was his older sister and the "apple of my mother's eye." She went missing from their family home in Cincinnati in 1976 and was never heard from again. Ronnie was just 8 years old when his sister disappeared.

"That wasn't something that was normal in our household," Ronnie Smith said. "No one stayed out at night. That just didn't happen, not at my mother's home. I can't imagine anything more devastating to be buried in an unmarked grave."

Smith said while he has closure knowing what happened to his sister, his focus is now on finding the person responsible.

"We will always believe, and we will believe, that whoever perpetrated this crime against her, if they're alive, they will be brought to justice," he said.

William Button, the Grundy County coroner back in 1976, called the identification "amazing."

"Unbelievable, I'll tell you the truth," Button said. "Because, look at what DNA's done."

Investigators said JoAnne "Vickie" Smith was adopted, and her name changed several times, which added to the complexity of the case and tracking down loved ones.

Her remains will be interred with her late parents in a future ceremony.