The 17-year-old's body was found 41 years ago outside of Las Vegas, NV, and until now, all attempts to identify her were unsuccessful.
In 2019, a hair sample collected at the time of autopsy was sent to Astrea Forensics for whole genome sequencing for purposes of obtaining a genotype file compatible with GedMatch database. It proved successful two years later when genealogist Barbara Rae Venter identified possible relatives of the victim.
Thanks to the investigators who never gave up, Tammy Terrell has been identified with hopes her ID will lead to information about her murder.
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/12/02/us/nevada-victim-identified-cold-case-homicide/index.html
Read more about Tammy Terrell: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Tammy_Terrell