LAS VEGAS, Nev. – After over 40 years, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police have finally identified a murder victim whose body was discovered in an open field near Sahara Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard. The woman, initially known as Sahara Sue Doe, was found face-down in the dirt on August 14th, 1979, near the now-defunct El Rancho Vegas Hotel and Casino.

For decades, the case remained unsolved, with investigators unable to determine the victim’s identity or the circumstances surrounding her death. It wasn’t until the fall of 2022 that the case was assigned to Metro’s Cold Case Section, which requested forensic genetic genealogy to be performed on the victim. This led to the successful identification of the victim as Gwenn Marie Story.

Story’s family informed investigators that she had left Cincinnati in the summer of 1979 with the intention of finding her biological father in California, accompanied by some male friends. According to her family, the men left her in Las Vegas, and they never heard from her again.

Metro’s Cold Case Section is now actively investigating the circumstances surrounding Story’s death and is urging anyone with information about Story or the men she was traveling with to come forward. The police have asked the public to call (702) 385-5555, or contact CrimeStoppers.

This significant breakthrough in the decades-old case brings hope for closure to Story’s loved ones and demonstrates law enforcement’s commitment to pursuing justice, no matter how much time has passed.