Who killed her? South Florida cold case murder victim identified as metro Atlanta woman
For nearly 43 years, a young woman whose skeletal remains were discovered in the Florida Everglades remained unidentified.
On Wednesday, the Broward Sheriff's Office announced they have identified the victim as Shelia Ann Nichols of Decatur, Georgia, and are asking the public for help solving her decades-old homicide.
Investigators say Nichols' skeletal remains were found by a truck driver along U.S. 27 in the Everglades in September 1983. While detectives quickly determined she had been murdered, they were unable to identify her or determine how she ended up in South Florida.
The case eventually went cold.
How DNA technology helped identify Shelia Ann Nichols after 43 years
Her identity was finally confirmed through DNA testing. Genetic genealogists with BSO's Crime Lab traced the remains to a young woman who disappeared from Decatur in May 1983. After a DNA match with her father last year, investigators confirmed the victim was Nichols.
While detectives say they are relieved to finally restore Nichols' identity, they are still searching for the person responsible for her killing.
"It's unspeakable how somebody could dispose of this young lady with such disregard," BSO Cold Case Homicide Unit Detective Andrew Gianino said in a press release. "It's just heart-wrenching."
Investigators said detectives working the case in the 1980s exhausted the available evidence, even commissioning a facial reconstruction in hopes someone would recognize the victim. Without today's forensic technology, however, the case remained unsolved.
Advances in DNA technology eventually gave investigators another chance.
Detectives hope new leads will solve Shelia Ann Nichols' unsolved murder
As Gianino reopened the investigation several years ago, he uncovered a series of unexpected developments. Among them was the discovery that Nichols' sister, Virginia Gail, also disappeared from Decatur around the same time in 1983.
"This has to be one of the most complex cases with various twists that I've ever worked," Gianino said.
Detectives ultimately located Virginia Gail alive, allowing her to reconnect with family after years apart. However, Shelia Ann Nichols' murder remains unsolved.
Gianino believes now that Nichols' name and photograph have been publicly released, someone in South Florida or the Decatur area may finally come forward with information that could identify her killer.
"We need that one phone call," Gianino said. "It would make all the difference going forward."
Anyone with information about Shelia Ann Nichols' disappearance or homicide is asked to contact BSO Detective Andrew Gianino at 954-321-4376 or submit a tip through the SaferWatch app. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477), online, or by dialing **TIPS from any cellphone in the United States. A reward of up to $5,000 is available if a tip leads to an arrest in the case.