Rochester, N.Y. — Remains discovered two years ago in Florida are those of a former Livingston County woman who disappeared more than four decades ago, according to authorities.
Rose Marie Gayhart, 23, was last seen March 21, 1985 at her workplace in Cape Coral, Florida. Police there said her parents, who lived in Dansville, reported her missing. At the time, it was reported she was seen getting into a red truck with an unknown male.
BACKGROUND: Livingston County Sheriff’s Office still investigating woman’s 1985 disappearance
Cape Coral police said kayakers found human remains in a canal there in May 2024. Police received confirmation this past May that familial DNA — secured by the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office in 2007 — determined the remains belonged to Gayhart.
Rose Marie Gayhart, a former Dansville, N.Y. woman who disappeared in Cape Coral, Florida in 1985, is pictured in undated photos provided by the Cape Coral Police Department.
“For more than forty years, Rose Marie Gayhart’s family has carried the weight of not knowing what happened to her,” Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore said in a statement. “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. This is now considered an active homicide investigation, and we are committed to following every lead.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office at (585) 243-7100 or email Investigator James Merrick at jamesmerrick@livingstoncountyny.gov.