Florida Remains Identified as Missing NY Woman

After more than 40 years, a New York family has answers about their missing loved one.

A decades-old missing person case involving a former Livingston County woman has finally been answered, but the discovery has now sparked a homicide investigation.

2024: Remains Found in Florida

Florida authorities announced that human remains discovered in a Cape Coral canal in 2024 have been identified as Rose Marie Gayhart, a 23-year-old woman originally from Dansville, New York, who vanished in 1985.

The breakthrough came after kayakers discovered human remains in a Cape Coral canal in May 2024. Now, investigators have confirmed the identity through familial DNA, using genetic samples the Livingston County Sheriff's Office had collected from Gayhart's relatives back in 2007.

Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore said the identification provides long-awaited answers for Gayhart's family, but it also marks the beginning of a renewed investigation.

"For more than forty years, Rose Marie Gayhart's family has carried the weight of not knowing what happened to her," Sizemore said. "While this identification brings long-awaited answers, it also strengthens our resolve. No matter how much time passes, even after four decades, our investigations do not stop, and our pursuit of justice does not end."

Rose Marie Gayhart's Disappearance

Gayhart was reportedly last seen on March 21, 1985, leaving her job in Cape Coral. According to investigators, witnesses reported seeing her get into a red pickup truck with an unknown man before she disappeared. Her parents, who were living in Dansville, NY at the time, reported her missing.

For decades, the case remained unsolved.

Police have officially classified Gayhart's death as an active homicide investigation and say detectives are continuing to pursue every available lead.

Anyone with information about Gayhart's disappearance or death is urged to contact the Livingston County Sheriff's Office at (585) 243-7100 or email Investigator James Merrick at jamesmerrick@livingstoncountyny.gov.

For Gayhart's family, the discovery ends more than four decades of uncertainty. Now, investigators hope it will also lead to answers about who was responsible for her death.