Houston: Thirty-five years after she disappeared following a fight with her husband, authorities have confirmed that skeletal remains found in a pickup truck in a lake in the US state of Texas match dental records of the 45-year-old bank teller.
Helen Holladay, of Fort Worth, disappeared in 1979 after a violent fight with her husband Herman Holladay.
On Wednesday, forensic examiners confirmed that skeletal remains found in a submerged truck in a lake match dental records of Helen.
The skeleton`s teeth match Helen`s dental records, a forensic examiner at the University of North Texas Health Science Center said.
Low lake levels allowed a city employee to spot part of the truck sticking up above water, NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth reported.
Hood County Sheriff Roger Deeds said the recovered truck`s identification number and the ID for Holladay`s Chevy truck matched. Investigators also found a purse in the truck with her credit cards.
Holladay was last seen on September 29, 1979. Neighbours said they saw Holladay leave home that day after a violent argument with her second husband, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.
Police originally labeled her husband, Herman a suspect but never had enough evidence to charge him. He died in 1987.
Holladay had two daughters, Karen Boatwright Stuart and Carlene Boerschig of Benbrook. Stuart said Herman was "abusive."
Investigators are still looking for a cause of death, but that could be impossible since the skeleton is so deteriorated.
"I don`t know if we`ll ever know for sure," Deeds told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
"That part we`re still investigating," Deeds added.
