Remains found by kayakers in Florida identified as woman who vanished in 1985 as police seek killer - CBS News

What the report says

CBS News reported that human remains found by kayakers in a canal in northeastern Cape Coral, Florida, have been identified as those of Rose Marie Gayhart, a woman who disappeared in 1985 at age 23. According to the Cape Coral Police Department, the remains were discovered in May 2024, and investigators confirmed Gayhart’s identity this May through DNA samples provided by relatives.

Police said the identification was made through work involving the department’s violent crimes unit, a local medical examiner’s office and a sheriff’s office in New York, where Gayhart was originally from. Gayhart’s parents, who lived in Danville, New York, reported her missing in 1985. At the time, police said, she had been living and working in the Cape Coral and North Fort Myers area.

Cape Coral police now classify the case as an active homicide investigation. CBS cited Police Chief Anthony Sizemore as saying the identification provides long-awaited answers while renewing investigators’ commitment to pursue leads, even after four decades. Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact the department as they seek accountability and closure for Gayhart’s family.

CBS also referenced reporting from affiliate WINK, which said Gayhart was last seen at a Cape Coral restaurant where she worked, then known as Big Howie’s Hot Dogs. WINK reported that she had been living in a North Fort Myers trailer park with her boyfriend and his mother. Her sister, Laurie Travis, had continued searching for answers for decades and previously told WINK that Gayhart had sounded happy shortly before she vanished.