Jane Doe in nearly 50-year-old Illinois cold case identified as Cincinnati woman

CINCINNATI — A 20-year-old Cincinnati woman last seen almost 50 years ago has been identified as the victim in an Illinois cold case.

The Grundy County Coroner's Office announced Thursday that JoAnn “Vicky” Smith has been identified as a murdered woman found in 1976.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) said Smith's family last saw her at 20-years-old when she lived in Cincinnati.

“The Coroner's Office developed the initial lead through investigative genetic genealogy efforts,” the NCMEC said. “Once the lead was developed, NCMEC's ​​analytical resources and case management support helped reveal Vicky's name and piece together her story.”

ABC-affiliate ABC7 Chicago reported that her body was found on Oct. 2, 1976 on a farm along US Route 6 near Seneca, Illinois. She was found with a gunshot wound to her head, and no suspect was ever arrested for her murder, ABC7 reported.

According to the report, she was buried in an unmarked grave at the Braceville-Gardner Cemetery on Thanksgiving Day in 1976.

“My mother held out hope until her dying day,” relative Ronnie Smith said via ABC7. “It's bittersweet… bitter because the awful fate that Vicky met, but sweet that we can put closure to this and bring her home.”

According to ABC7, Smith was adopted at a young age, which created hurdles for investigators. Adoption records and genealogy helped identify her in May.

Family and authorities are now hoping to find who killed Smith. In the meantime, ABC7 said Smith's siblings are planning a celebration of life, where she'll be buried alongside her parents in South Carolina.