Bedford, NH – New Hampshire State Police have identified the victim in a 1971 unsolved homicide as 26-year-old Katherine Ann Alston of Boston, Massachusetts, following more than five decades of investigation.
According to New Hampshire State Police, Alston’s body was found on October 6, 1971, in a wooded area near the end of Kilton Road in Bedford, close to Route 101. Investigators determined she had likely been deceased for one to three months before being discovered. The victim was found wearing a maroon pullover blouse with lace at the neck, short hip-hugger shorts, and sandals but carried no identification. The case was ruled a homicide, though her exact cause of death was never determined.
Between 2020 and 2022, forensic experts with the DNA Doe Project and state investigators used advanced genetic genealogy to confirm the woman’s identity as Alston. Family members told police that she was last seen in 1971 when she was supposed to meet relatives at Logan Airport in Boston for a trip to Texas but never arrived.
Authorities are urging the public to submit any information that could help bring justice to Alston’s family. Tips can be sent to the New Hampshire Cold Case Unit at business.nh.gov/ColdCaseTips/Tip.aspx or emailed to coldcaseunit@dos.nh.gov.
