More than 40 years after Rose Marie Gayhart went missing from Cape Coral, Florida, her remains have been identified. <\/p>\n
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The Cape Coral Police Department issued a news release<\/a> on July 24, stating that remains found in a canal in northeast Cape Coral in May 2024 have been identified as the 23-year-old last seen alive outside a diner in Cape Coral, Florida on March 21, 1985.<\/p>\n Dateline featured Rose\u2019s story<\/a> in its \u2018Cold Case Spotlight<\/a>\u2019 series in March of 2021. \u201cShe would never just take off and not ever contact us,\u201d Rose\u2019s sister Laurie told Dateline in 2021. \u201cWe were best friends, she would\u2019ve reached out to me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor more than forty years, Rose Marie Gayhart\u2019s family has carried the weight of not knowing what happened to her,\u201d Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore wrote in the release. \u201cWhile this identification brings long-awaited answers, it also strengthens our resolve.\u201d<\/p>\n That resolve is now to find out what happened to Rose all those years ago and who was responsible.<\/p>\n \u201cNo matter how much time passes, even after four decades, our investigations do not stop, and our pursuit of justice does not end,\u201d Sizemore stressed. \u201cThis is now considered an active homicide investigation, and we are committed to following every lead.\u201d<\/p>\n Anyone with information that could help solve Rose\u2019s case is asked to call the Cape Coral Police Department in Florida at 239-574-3223.<\/p>\n