“Unsolved Mystery” TV show host Robert Stack once put it in a truthful, simple way. “For Every Mystery, There is Someone, Somewhere Who Knows the Truth.” Except in the following case, because a person never came forward with the truth in this 1964 murder-mystery.
It took the supreme work of a Texas laboratory called Othram. Othram is a forensic biotechnology company that has revolutionized how forensic cases are solved. Even if the crime happened a half century ago.
A New York case can attest to Othram’s excellent work.
1964 Murder-Mystery
More than six decades after 12-year-old Mary Theresa Simpson disappeared while walking home in Elmira, New York, law enforcement officials say they have identified the man responsible for her murder using modern forensic genetic genealogy.
Mary was last seen on March 15, 1964, after visiting relatives near East Market and Harriet streets. When she failed to return home, her father reported her missing later that evening. Four days later, on March 19, her body was discovered in a wooded area near Combs Hill Road in Southport by a man hiking with his sons.
Investigators determined Mary had been sexually assaulted and strangled. Her remains had been partially concealed beneath debris and large stones, and her mouth had been stuffed with twigs and dirt, according to police records.
Despite an extensive investigation that included hundreds of interviews over the years, no suspect was identified, and the case went cold.
Othram Texas Forensic Lab
In 2023, the Elmira Police Department reopened the case with assistance from the FBI, turning to advances in forensic science unavailable at the time of the crime. In February 2023, biological evidence from the case was sent to Othram, a forensic laboratory in Houston-Woodlands, Texas. The lab specializes in degraded DNA.
Scientists at Othram successfully developed a usable DNA extract and applied forensic-grade genome sequencing to create a comprehensive genetic profile of the unknown suspect. Funding assistance for the testing was provided by the nonprofit organization Season of Justice.
The DNA profile was then analyzed by the FBI’s forensic genetic genealogy team, which conducted a genealogical search to generate investigative leads. Working alongside Elmira police detectives, investigators were able to narrow the results to a single person now believed to be responsible for Mary’s murder.
Authorities say further investigative work confirmed the suspect’s identity. The suspect is now deceased and will not face prosecution.
The resolution of Mary Simpson’s murder marks one of the oldest homicide cases in the United States to be solved using forensic genetic genealogy. Officials credited the collaboration between local and federal agencies, advances in DNA technology, and persistent investigative efforts for finally providing answers to Mary’s surviving family members.
Old Unsolved Murders Are Now Solvable
People should understand why the unsolved murders of 1960s-1990s are solvable.
Cold cases of the 1960s-1970s era are particularly solvable due to the superior advancements made through DNA, forensic-grade genome sequencing, and Ancestry.com, because:
- Law enforcement agencies have physically preserved forensic trace evidence, even if the evidence was poorly tested.
- Perhaps thousands of killers and other violent criminals, although aging, are still alive
- Hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of family members have, since the 1960s-until now, voluntarily submitted DNA to ancestry sites
- These days in the hi-tech era, police investigators can more easily track down suspects by investigating a person’s background to determine if they are married, employed, divorced, on disability, work out at a gym, live in a nursing home, or dead.
Law enforcement officials are expected to publicly announce the suspect’s identity during a press conference scheduled for Feb. 10, 2026, at the Chemung County District Attorney’s Office.
This decades-old homicide is the 18th in New York State in which authorities have publicly identified a suspect using technology developed by Othram.
If anyone remembers any additional details about this case, please call the Elmira Police Department at 607-737-5626 or leave an anonymous message at this tipline at 607-271-HALT.
UPDATES
- A childhood friend identified as Marcia Drake vividly recalled the case in a sentimental way: “My mom was a little girl when this girl was killed. She said parents were afraid for their kids. Around that time, many people thought her father had killed her.”
- The murder of Mary Simpson captivated the hearts of residents not only living in the Elmira community but throughout New York state. An author named Christina Fanelli wrote and published a book titled: What Happened to Me? Exploring the Mary Theresa Simpson Cold Case
Clarence Walker is a veteran NewsBlaze reporter, true crime journalist and editor at houstonnewstoday@yahoo.com
