New Sketch Released in Montauk Mary Cold Case

Suffolk County authorities released a new sketch of an unidentified murder victim known as Montauk Mary, whose cold case has been unsolved since her body was found nearly a half century ago. The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Cold Case Task Force said forensic artists created sketches of this victim and others to show what the victims may have looked like just prior to their deaths, officials said. Montauk Mary was one of several cases spotlighted on the task force’s website for National Cold Case Month this September in the hope of generating tips that might lead to an arrest.

“Each cold case represents a person who matters deeply to someone,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. “Adding their cases to our website not only honors the victims’ memory, but also provides new pathways for the public to contribute meaningfully to long-standing investigations.”

Authorities said a passerby walking through East Overlook Park on Montauk Highway discovered the victim known as Montauk Mary lying face-up, approximately 15 feet from the parking lot at about 12:30 p.m. March 22, 1978.

Police responded to the scene and described the victim as a white female, likely in her 60s, about 5 feet tall, weighing around 200 pounds, with short gray hair, and hazel eyes. She was wearing a plaid tweed coat, a multicolored dress, and orange slippers. Investigators said she was shot four times — once in the head and three times in the legs — several hours before she was found.

A reward of up to $2,000 is being offered for information leading to her identification. For more details visit suffolkcountyda.org/cold-cases. If you have information, email contactda@suffolkcountyny.gov or call 631-263-0526.