On July 26, 1974 a young girl on a Provincetown, Massachusetts, beach found the body of a 37-year-old Caucasian woman who became known for decades as the Lady of the Dunes. The victim had suffered a crushing blow to the head and was nearly decapitated; her hands and one forearm were removed. She was found nude on a beach blanket with jeans and a bandana folded under her head, a detail that investigators noted could indicate she was killed by someone who had been with her.

For nearly fifty years the woman remained unidentified despite exhumations, facial reconstructions, and numerous leads including theories tying the case to nearby film crews and to notorious figures. In 2022 forensic genealogy produced a DNA profile that identified her as Ruth Marie Terry, a Tennessee native who had lived in California and Michigan. Investigators then reconstructed her last months and learned she had married antiques dealer Guy Muldavin in early 1974 and that the two had taken a trip that included a visit to Terry’s family.

After the trip Muldavin returned alone driving Terry’s car and gave varying accounts of her whereabouts. Authorities later concluded Muldavin was responsible for Ruth Terry’s death; he died in 2002. What can anyone who knew Ruth or her movements in 1974 add to help close remaining questions about her last days?