Remains found in ’78 garment bag finally identified.

The Mysterious Case of Florence Charleston

In October 1978, a shocking discovery was made in a remote area of Nevada, just two hours north of Reno. A garment bag was found, containing the heavily decayed remains of a woman.

“Was she happy, or not? Was she safe? All these questions I had, and it turns out she was dead.”

The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office led the initial investigation into the remains. Alongside the body, they found articles of women’s clothing, as reported by the Associated Press. An autopsy revealed that the remains likely belonged to a middle-aged woman, but the cause of death remained a mystery.

With no identity and no leads, the case was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. A rendering of the woman’s appearance was included, describing her as likely 5-foot-5 with red or auburn hair. The clothing found with the body was described as a dark-green sweater with a white safety pin on the front, along with dark-green pants and a long-sleeved pink sweater.

Months passed, and the Nevada State Police joined the investigation. They attempted digital facial reconstruction and compared dental records, but still, the woman’s identity and cause of death remained elusive.

For 45 years, the case remained cold.

A Breakthrough in the Case

However, this week brought a breakthrough. Nevada State Police announced that they were able to use forensic genealogy analysis to identify the deceased woman. Working with Othram Inc, a private laboratory specializing in DNA analysis, they compared the DNA to databases of those who have voluntarily provided DNA to genealogy kits, like “23 and Me,” and found family members of the deceased.

Using this technique, the woman was identified as Florence Charleston, who had recently moved to Portland, Oregon, from Cleveland, Ohio, before her death.

One of her few surviving relatives, Diane Liggitt, shared her thoughts on the discovery. She had been 18 when her aunt Florence moved to Portland with her new boyfriend. Over the years, Liggitt often wondered about her aunt’s fate.

“Was she happy, or not? Was she safe? All these questions I had, and it turns out she was dead.”

The investigation into Charleston’s death is still ongoing. It remains a mystery how she ended up in the garment bag in Nevada, 535 miles away from her home in Oregon. She would have been 68 years old at the time of her death.

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