Twist in missing person case reveals family mourned over wrong body, Florida cops say

Human remains found nearly 41 years ago along a Florida dirt road have finally been identified, revealing a missing girl’s family grieved over the wrong body four decades ago, investigators say.

DNA tests identified the remains as those of Rebecca Sue Hill of Arkansas, who went missing in 1981 when she was 16 or 17 years old, the Lake County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office said in a Jan. 29 news release.

“Rebecca was not in any database as missing due to remains being found in Little Rock, (Arkansas), and misidentified as Rebecca by a family member sometime in 1981 or 1982,” the sheriff’s office said.

“Contact has been made with the Little Rock Police Department regarding our findings.”

Investigators aren’t sure how Hill ended up dead “off a dirt road near Lake Dorr, in Altoona.” The lake is about a 50-mile drive northwest from Orlando.

Her death is suspected to be a homicide and “detectives are continuing to investigate the circumstances.”

The body was found April 18, 1984, and initially named “Judy Doe.” Attempts to identify the remains through skeletal recreations and dental records proved unsuccessful.

“In November of 2023, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office contracted Othram, Inc., a private laboratory that specializes in Forensic Genetic Genealogy, in an attempt to provide new leads or information,” the sheriff’s office said.

“Over a year was spent working through the genealogy of Judy Doe, and possible family members were identified. ... In November of 2024 detectives were able to make contact with a suspected close relative of Judy Doe.”

DNA testing proved the relative was Judy’s Doe’s sister, officials said.

Details of how the family reacted to the news were not revealed.

This story was originally published January 30, 2025 at 7:16 AM with the headline "Twist in missing person case reveals family mourned over wrong body, Florida cops say."