Linn County, OR – The Oregon State Police announced Monday that skeletal remains discovered near Wolf Creek in 1976 have finally been identified, solving a mystery that spanned nearly 50 years.
According to Oregon State Police, the remains have been confirmed as those of Marion Vineta Nagle McWhorter, a 21-year-old last seen in Tigard in 1974. Her identity had remained unknown for decades until recent advances in forensic genetic genealogy made a breakthrough possible.
Detectives, medical examiner staff, and forensic genetic genealogists at Parabon NanoLabs worked together to make the identification. Authorities said McWhorter likely did not go missing voluntarily, and the discovery provides long-awaited answers for her family.
“This case was cold for 49 years,” Oregon State Police noted. “That means family members lived and died without ever knowing what happened to their missing loved one.” Investigators said the genetic tools not only assisted law enforcement but also helped provide closure to McWhorter’s surviving relatives.
The case highlights how forensic genealogy is reshaping cold case investigations nationwide, allowing police to revisit decades-old mysteries with new technology.
The Oregon State Police have not released further details on the circumstances of McWhorter’s disappearance or death but confirmed that the identification brings an end to a case that had remained unsolved since the mid-1970s.
