A woman found shot to death in the state of Massachusetts in 1978 has finally been identified with advances in DNA technology, officials said.

Patricia Ann Tucker, then 28, was known for decades only as “Granby Girl” after the small town where her body was found.

DNA samples from her son – who was five when she disappeared – helped identify Ms Tucker.

For decades, she was buried with a headstone marked “Unknown”.

“Thank you for never giving up on her,” her son, Matthew Dale, said in a statement. “At least I have some answers now after 44 years. It’s a lot to process, but hopefully, the closure can begin now.”

Ms Tucker’s body was found buried under leaves on a logging road in the town of Granby on 15 November, 1978. She had been shot in the temple and her death was ruled a homicide.

The autopsy concluded she had been dead since about June of 1978 and that she was between 19 and 27 years old. But her identity remained a mystery.

“It was advances in forensic science, and in particular, forensic genetic genealogy that provided a new source of hope for identifying the victim,” said First Assistant Northwestern District Attorney Steven Gagne at a press conference on Monday.

About two years ago, authorities obtained Ms Tucker’s DNA profile through a forensic laboratory and eventually identified a woman in Maryland who was likely related to her.

That relative told police that her aunt had gone missing in the 1970s and she gave police the names of her aunt’s two sons, Mr Gagne said.

One of those sons, Matthew Dale, confirmed his mother, Patricia Tucker, went missing in 1978. Comparison of his DNA to Ms Tucker’s DNA resulted in a 100% parent-child match, officials said.

“While it’s satisfying to finally know who ‘Granby Girl’ actually was, the investigation won’t stop until we identify her killer,” said Mr Gagne.

Investigators found Ms Tucker was married to Gerald Coleman at the time of her death but he never reported his wife missing. In 1995, Coleman was convicted on charges including rape and assault, and he died in prison in 1996.

Police say Coleman is a “person of interest” in his wife’s murder.

“We do not yet formally have probable cause to charge anyone with Patricia’s murder,” Mr Gagne said. “Our hope is that today’s press conference will generate some additional leads that will help to move this investigation further and ultimately identify a murderer.” (BBC)

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