A woman found dead in a remote area of Arizona has finally been positively identified after more than half a century.

In fact, authorities identified Colleen Audrey Rice on Monday, Jan. 23, which happened to be the 52nd anniversary of her body being discovered. Home Decoration

Cold case no more: Woman whose body was found in a canvas sack in 1971 is identified | WCIV

The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office said Rice was found in a canvas sack, tied at the top with a white cotton rope. In 1971, she could only be described as 35-40 years old, 5’4” tall, weighing 125-140 pounds, with curly brown hair.

Investigators had sketches drawn, showing how she may have looked, but a lot of time passed without answers.

Finally, last year, they partnered with private lab firm Othram Inc. to see if advanced DNA testing and forensic-grade genome sequencing — unavailable in 1971 — could help solve the case.

Besides learning her name, the testing revealed Rice was born on March 17, 1931, in Portsmouth, Ohio, and was the daughter of James C. Rice and Flossie Truitt.

She went to Portsmouth High School and married William Davis in 1946 in Ohio. It's not known if the couple had children.

But Rice was estranged from her family, so little is known of her life or how she got to Arizona.

Now, the investigation will focus on who killed her.

MCSO continues to seek the public’s assistance with providing any information they may have on the later years of Rice’s life.

Grass Mirrors Anyone with information on Rice's life or death is urged to call the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office at 928-753-0753 ext. 4408, or 1-800-522-4312, and reference DR# 71-0383.