A hunter found skeletal remains wrapped in construction plastic and secured with duct tape in woods near Indian Creek Road in Huntsville on October 16, 1997. Forensic examination indicated a white female, probably 15 to 19 years old, 4 feet 10 inches to 5 feet 1 inch, with shoulder-length dark blonde or light brown hair with a reddish tint. Investigators estimated the body had been in the woods nearly a year before discovery.

In 2009 the victim was tentatively linked to Cynthia Lynn Davis after her stepfather, Alan Merryman, reported an 18-year-old family member who had been estranged since about Christmas 1995. DNA from Cynthia’s biological brother, and later from her mother and sister, was compared. In March 2012 officials confirmed the remains were Cynthia Lynn Davis. Authorities say the death is an open homicide investigation; Cynthia may have worked as a waitress at a Waffle House in Huntsville, but no suspects or arrests have been announced.

Did anyone know Cynthia or see her in Huntsville in the mid-1990s who could help investigators close this case?