Human remains found in garment bag identified 45 years later, Nevada police say

Human remains discovered in a garment bag in northern Nevada in 1978 have been identified 45 years later as a former Ohio woman, state police reported.

The family of Florence Charleston of Cleveland lost touch with her after she moved to Portland, Oregon, in the early 1970s, police said in a news release.

Her disappearance left the family with many questions, niece Diane Liggitt told The Associated Press.

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

In October 1978, someone found her unidentified remains in a garment bag near Imlay, Nevada, about 135 miles northeast of Reno, police said.

Pershing County Sheriff’s Office detectives investigated but could not identify the remains. An autopsy showed they belonged to a woman believed to be in her 40s. No cause of death could be determined.

In 1979, Nevada State Police also investigated but could not uncover the woman’s identity, the release said.

State police hired Othram, a company specializing in forensic genealogy, to perform DNA tests on the remains in March 2022, the agency said. The results identified Charleston.

An investigation into her death continues. Police ask anyone with information to call 775-684-7456.

This story was originally published June 15, 2023 at 10:37 AM with the headline "Human remains found in garment bag identified 45 years later, Nevada police say."