Human Remains Discovered in Florida 48 Years Ago Identified as Woman Last Seen Getting Into a Truck with Unknown Driver

Advances in science made it possible for authorities to identify skeletal remains nearly 50 years after they were first discovered in Florida, leading to new questions in a long-running cold case.

In a Tuesday (February 10) statement, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the remains had been positively identified as belonging to Patricia Ann Ritchie, also known as Patsy Falls Ritchie, a Harrisonburg, Va. woman who is believed to have gone missing in 1977.

The positive identification answers a question that has eluded authorities since the remains were discovered on January 18, 1978 “in a wooded area in unincorporated Boca Raton.”

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The news release stated that the woman’s death had been ruled a homicide upon discovery. However, authorities were unable to verify her identity at the time.

“Anthropologists examined the remains and determined that the remains were those of a white female. She was estimated to be between 17-29 years of age,” the statement read, noting, “Through the years, efforts to identify her met with negative results.”

Othram, “a private laboratory dedicated to breaking through impenetrable forensic DNA barriers and previously unsolvable case[s],” began offering assistance in July 2024. The following August, they were able to provide detectives “with investigative leads derived from genealogical research.”

“In September 2025, Cold Case detectives traveled domestically to investigate the leads provided and to collect reference samples from relatives of the decedent. On December 2, 2025, the decedent was identified via forensic investigative genetic genealogy as Patricia Ann Ritchie, date of birth 12/3/53, of Harrisonburg, Virginia,” the release read.

A missing person report included with the statement said that Ritchie had “left the Harrisonburg area in either 1976 or 1977.” She was married to a Donnie Wayne Ritchie and was 23 to 24 years old at the time of her disappearance.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office stated that she was “last seen at a truck stop in the Harrisonburg, VA area getting into a truck with an unknown person.”

Authorities still need to determine when she arrived in Florida, who she was traveling with and more.

“At this point, we are seeking information from anyone who may have known or encountered Patricia Ritchie in the years preceding her death. Please call Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) 458-TIPS or Investigator William Springer at (561) 688-4013 with any information,” the statement read.