Missing New York Woman Identified After 40 Years

A woman’s remains discovered by kayakers in Florida have been identified as those of Rose Marie Gayheart, a New York woman who vanished over four decades ago.

According to the Cape Coral Police Department, DNA tests confirmed that the remains belonged to the 23-year-old, who was reported missing in March 1985. The discovery took place in May 2024 in a canal northeast of Cape Coral.

Police said that in May 2026, they received confirmation from the medical examiner’s office that the remains were indeed Gayheart’s. The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office in New York assisted by securing family DNA for identification purposes.

Gayheart’s disappearance was first reported by her parents in Dansville, New York. At that time, she was living and working in the Cape Coral and North Fort Myers regions, according to law enforcement.

“For over 40 years, Rose Marie Gayheart’s family has carried the burden of uncertainty. This identification brings much-needed closure and strengthens our resolve to find justice,” stated Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore.

Her sister, Laurie Travis, expressed that she had been tirelessly searching for her sister throughout the years, holding onto hope that answers would eventually come.

In a 2017 interview, Travis conveyed her frustration, “There’s always that lingering question of where are you? Where are you?”

At the time of her disappearance, Gayheart was employed at a local restaurant previously known as Big Howie’s Hot Dogs. Not long before she went missing, she had relocated from New York with her boyfriend and his mother to a trailer park in North Fort Myers over the Christmas holiday in 1984.

Some neighbors from the trailer park speculated that she may have been murdered, with Travis stating, “I think she was murdered. That’s what all the neighbors were saying when we looked into it.” They mentioned that there were frequent disturbances in the area.

Rumors also circulated that Gayheart might have been pregnant and looking to return home, but her boyfriend allegedly would not let her leave, as noted by Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers.

Travis shared, “My mother received a letter from his mother about sending Gayheart back, stating that she was no good and should go back to her mom.”

Currently, the police are treating her death as a homicide, stating their investigation is still active. “No matter how much time has passed—40 years or more—our investigation and pursuit of justice continue,” Sizemore emphasized.

Authorities are asking anyone with information related to Gayheart’s case to contact the Cape Coral Police Department at 239-574-3223.