The Florida Sheriff’s Office recently announced that it has identified the victim of a murder nearly 40 years after the investigation went cold.
of The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office announced in a May 8 press release that human remains were discovered in a shallow grave in Crescent Beach in April 1985. Crescent Beach is located approximately 80 miles south of Jacksonville.
“Initial investigation revealed that the victim was a white female, likely between the ages of 30 and 50 at the time of death,” the press release said. “Based on the circumstances, the cause of death was determined to be homicide.”
After years of efforts to advance the case, the body was sent to Osram, a private forensic laboratory, in 2023. A lead was obtained, and investigators visited potential relatives and collected samples. The body was identified in January 2024 as Mary Alice Paltz.
Farmer chases pig that stumbled on skeleton, even after nearly 50 years, it turns out he is a Vietnam veteran
Mary Alice Paltz was born in 1943 and her family was last seen in 1968. (St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office (Florida))
“The Osram team was able to develop DNA extracts and build a DNA profile of the victim,” a statement from the sheriff’s office explained. “The profile was submitted to a consumer genealogy database where users submitted their DNA and consented to a comparative search. This search revealed possible relatives of the victim.”
Paltz was born in 1943 and raised in Maryland. The last time she was seen by her family was after she went out with her boyfriend John Thomas Fugit in 1968.
“Because of the times, communication wasn’t great,” said Sgt. Gene Tolbert said in an interview: “It seems like he moved in with Mary Alice (who was called Tommy), possibly to either Florida or Georgia.”
Investigators found burr holes in Paltz’s skull, indicating she had undergone brain surgery after 1968. Authorities believe she was “involved in some kind of traumatic event that required hospitalization.”
33-year-old unsolved murder in California solved after victim’s sister “prayers were answered”
His body was discovered in 1985 in a shallow grave near a beach in Florida. (St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office (Florida))
”[Chief Medical Examiner Wendolyn Sneed] “In addition to surgical bur holes, these injuries are indicative of severe trauma that may require hospitalization, such as being involved in a motor vehicle accident or being struck by a motor vehicle,” the sheriff’s office said. ” he advised. It is likely that there was an abscess in the upper gum line of the skull, causing discomfort and pain. The analysis provided by Dr. Sneed is for historical purposes and is not related to the cause of death at the time of the murder. ”
Mr. Fugitt is still considered a person of interest in the case. He subsequently passed away.
“Detectives have learned that Fugitt, known by the pseudonym Billy Joe Wallace, was sentenced to death in Georgia in connection with the 1981 murder of his male roommate,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. announced. “Fugit died in prison before his execution.”
Sheriff Rob Hardwick called the murder investigation “a powerful example of how we never give up.”
“The combination of highly skilled detectives and advanced DNA technology has provided Mary Alice’s family with some answers about her disappearance nearly 40 years ago,” Hardwick said in a statement. “Our major crimes detectives are some of the best in the industry, and we are proud of their dedication to representing homicide victims and their families as they seek closure for their loved ones.”
John Thomas Fugitt is considered a person of interest in the murder case, but he is now deceased. (St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office (Florida))
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
of The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office is actively investigating this murder. Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact crimes@sjso.org or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-277-TIPS (8477).
