Woman’s remains discovered in garment bag identified 45 years later – Law Officer

NEVADA – Human remains found in a garment bag in northern Nevada 45 years ago have been identified as a woman who relocated from Ohio to Oregon before her family lost track of her, according to the Nevada State Police.

Florence Charleston hailed from Cleveland, Ohio but moved to Portland, Oregon in the early 1970s. Her family lost touch with her after that. Human remains that were recently identified as belonging to the missing woman were found in 1978 in a garment bag near Imlay, Nevada, law enforcement authorities said in a news release. The location of discovery was about 135 miles northeast of Reno.

Charleston’s niece, Diane Liggitt, told the Associated Press that her aunt’s disappearance left the family with so many unanswered questions.

“Was she happy, or not? Was she safe?” Liggitt said. “All these questions I had, and it turns out she was dead.”

The case was investigated by the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office. However, detectives were unable identify the remains. An autopsy revealed the victim was a female, believed to be in her 40s, but there were no further details to help identity the woman. Moreover, no cause of death could be determined, Yahoo News reported. 

The Nevada State Police joined the investigation in 1979, but the woman’s identity remained a mystery for decades to come, the release said.

Finally, in March 2022, state police hired Othram, a company specializing in forensic genealogy, to perform DNA tests on the remains. As a result, the woman was identified as Charleston.

Now that her identity is known, police continue to investigate her death. Anyone with information is asked to call authorities at 775-684-7456.