Colleen Rice - Authorities finally identified woman whose body was found in a canvas bag in 1971

Investigators spent decades trying to identify a woman whose body was found in a canvas bag in the Arizona desert. And three days ago, they finally found an answer. According to information posted on its Facebook page, the Mohave County Sheriff's Office's Special Investigation Unit employed cutting-edge technology to locate Colleen Rice, a 40-year-old who was born and raised in Portsmouth, Ohio. And even while it is a significant resolution to a 52-year-old investigation, there are still a great deal of unanswered issues.

Details about the case

Colleen Rice's body was found on a dirt road about two miles east of U.S. Highway 93 on January 23, 1971. Officials reported that her body was found inside a sack with a white cotton rope tied at the top. Additionally, she was roughly 5'4" tall and weighed 130 lbs. She wore burnt orange stretch pants with a tab inside that read 'Symphony, it's what's happening,' along with a size 14 multicolored long sleeve blouse and a black, long sleeve cardigan sweater. In addition, she wore bobby socks with a pair of black leather, ankle high boots and no jewelry at all. Also read: Alex Jackson – Iowa man convicted of murdering his parents and sister in staged home invasion in 2021 For many years, this was all that was known about the person formerly known as Jane Doe by the authorities. However, the sheriff's office and Othram Inc. collaborated in 2022 to test her DNA. The department contributed $1,000 and requested $6,500 from the general public. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Image credit: Fox News[/caption] According to the department's press release, "The hope was that the community would open its heart and help to finally give her a name." And in five days, the case received funding.

More details

Colleen Rice had been unidentified for 52 years before being given a name and some information about her life on January 23. Born on March 17, 1931, Rice was wed to William Davis in Ohio. And although it is uncertain if she had children, authorities discovered she was estranged from her family. Officials said, "The investigation is ongoing into the suspect and/or suspects responsible for her death. The MCSO continues to seek the public's assistance with providing any information they may have on the later years of the victim's life." Lastly, if you have any information, call the Mohave County Sheriff's Office SIU at 928-753-0753 ext. 4408 or use the toll-free line at 1-800-522-4312 with the reference DR# 71-0383.