Cold cases aren’t forgotten

Friday, September 28, 2012

On Oct. 6, 1971, the body of a 30- to 35-year-old woman was found under brush in a wooded area off Kilton Road. She still doesn’t have a name.

We’re asking you to take a look at the pictures published today – law enforcement professionals’ best guess as to what she may have looked like – and think about her.

While many of our readers may not have lived in Bedford at the time – some may not have been born – there’s no telling when a small fact, or a little piece of knowledge, could be the clue to unlocking the mystery of her identity. And, by extension, what happened to her.

But we’re asking you to look and think for another reason, as well. Because she deserves to be remembered and mourned.

Who was she? Is her family still missing her? Was she a wife? A sister? A mother? A friend? What were her hopes? Who would she be today? A favorite grandmother in her 70s? A volunteer in the community?

Somewhere, a family is missing a member of its family, and they don’t know what happened to her. In Bedford, we know where she was found, but we don’t know who she was.

So, on Oct. 6, take a moment to remember this woman. She was not only robbed of life, she was robbed of her identity, either by chance or by foul play.

And take a moment to be thankful for the many New Hampshire law enforcement professionals who are still dedicated to solving the mystery of who this woman was and what happened to her.

Because even though her case may be cold, these professionals are not willing to forget.