Cops in Virginia identified the remains of a 17-year-old girl who vanished nearly 50 years ago with the help of DNA testing, a scientific tool that has helped law enforcement agencies solve several cold case murders in recent years.
Fairfax County police said in a statement that Patricia Agnes Gildawie, also known as "Choubi," disappeared in Fairfax, Virginia, on February 8, 1975. A construction crew found her remains and some of her clothing behind an apartment complex in McLean, Virginia, back in September 2001, according to NBC News.
An initial review at the time said that the skeletal remains were like that of a female African American. The statement said that the victim was in her late teens to early 20s. A medical examiner stated that the woman died from a headshot wound.
Othram helps detectives in solving the cold case
Cold case detectives teamed up with Othram, a Texas-based company specializing in forensic genealogy, to solve cold case disappearances and murders. Through advanced DNA testing, authorities were able to find Veronique Duperly, Gildawie's half-sister.
They also learned that Gildawie was dating an older man when she disappeared. Police have not identified that person yet, but they said they know he worked in Vienna, Virginia, at an upholstery store.
Duperly told NBC Washington in an interview that the last time she saw her sister, she was driving a white Cadillac Eldorado with a red interior. Gildawie's boyfriend had lent her that car. According to Duperly, her sister also had bruises on her when they met each other.
Duperly told the station that her sister had bruises on her upper arms, shoulders, and the back of her legs. She asked her sister why she was so black and blue, and she replied she fell a lot. Duperly knew that was a lie and told her, "No, you don't."
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Who killed Patricia Gildawie?
Ed O'Carroll, the Fairfax County police bureau commander of major crimes and cyber and forensics, said that identifying this young woman solves a mystery that has been in the making for more than 47 years.
He added that their community should take comfort in knowing that their detectives never stop working these cases, 7News reported. He said advancements in technology had allowed his Cold Case detectives to pursue fresh leads and bring some relief to families that have been long-suffering with the unknown.
Police said Gildawie was born in France and moved to the United States when she was eight months old. She then moved to Fairfax, Virginia, in the early 1970s. The case is still not totally solved, though, as detectives continue to investigate who killed Gildawie. They ask anyone with information about Gildawie's murder to contact Fairfax County Crime Solvers.
