HILLSBORO, Mo. (AP) - Skeletal remains found in eastern Missouri's Jefferson County have been identified as those of a St. Louis woman missing since July 1985.
The sheriff's office announced the finding Monday, asking for help from anyone with information about the disappearance of Cynthia Horan.
Deputies recovered the remains in Jefferson County, just south of St. Louis, in 1988. Authorities initially concluded they belonged to a woman from East St. Louis, Ill.
But KSDK-TV reports that advances in DNA technology have led to Horan's positive identification, with the cause of death listed as "homicidal violence." Sheriff Glenn Boyer says the remains have been released to Horan's father.
Authorities also say they've contacted a person of interest who's being held in federal prison in another state. No charges have been filed.