After 39 years, the woman whose body was found burning in a pile of tires in Westport, Connecticut in 1985 has been identified as Barbara Heyward Manners, thanks to advancements in DNA technology. Manners was 33 years old at the time of her death. Her body was found alongside Interstate 95, with only a few personal items nearby.
At the time, police could only determine that she was a Black woman between the ages of 30 and 40. Her case was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System in 2012. Othram, the lab that identified her, was able to confirm her identity through DNA comparison.
Now, Manners’ remains will be returned to her family for final internment. The identification of Manners brings some closure to a case that had remained unsolved for nearly four decades, and highlights the importance of continued advancements in technology in solving cold cases.
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