Nearly four decades after being found in a shallow grave, human remains have been identified as Mary Alice Pultz, a woman who went missing in 1968. The identification was made with the help of consumer genealogy databases and advanced DNA technology.
The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office in Florida recently announced that it has identified the victim in a homicide case that went cold nearly four decades ago. The human remains, found in a shallow grave on Crescent Beach in April 1985, have been positively identified as Mary Alice Pultz, a woman who had been missing since 1968.
"The initial investigation revealed the victim was a white female, possibly between the ages of 30 and 50 at the time of her death," the press release stated. "Due to the circumstances, the manner of death was determined to be homicide."
In 2023, the remains were sent to Othram, a private forensics lab, for further analysis. Leads were developed, and investigators visited potential relatives and collected samples. Through a process of DNA matching and genealogy searches, the remains were finally identified as Mary Alice Pultz in January 2024.
Pultz was born in 1943 and raised in Maryland. She was last seen by her family in 1968 after leaving with her boyfriend, John Thomas Fugitt.
"Due to the times, communication was not great," Sergeant Gene Tolbert said. "The belief is that Mary Alice and, he went by Tommy, had kind of moved off together, potentially to either Florida or Georgia."
Investigators discovered that Pultz had burr holes in her skull, indicating that she had undergone brain surgery after 1968. Authorities believe that she may have been involved in an accident or suffered a traumatic injury that required hospitalization.
"Additionally, Dr. Sneed discovered evidence of an abscess in the upper gum line of the skull that would have caused discomfort and pain," the sheriff's office said. "The analysis provided by Dr. Sneed is for historical purposes and are not related to the cause of death at the time of the homicide."
John Thomas Fugitt is still considered a person of interest in the case. He has since died.
"Detectives learned that Fugitt, who was known to go by an alias of Billy Joe Wallace, was sentenced to death in Georgia related to a 1981 murder of a male roommate," the sheriff's office said. "Fugitt died in prison prior to his execution."
Sheriff Rob Hardwick praised the detectives and forensic experts involved in the case.
"The combination of highly skilled detectives and advanced DNA technology has given Mary Alice’s family some answers about her disappearance close to 40 years ago," Hardwick said. "Our Major Crimes detectives are some of the best in the business and I am proud of their dedication to be a voice for homicide victims and their families as we seek closure for loved ones."
The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office is still actively investigating the homicide. Anyone with information relating to the case is asked to email [email protected] or to call Crime Stoppers at 1-888-277-TIPS (8477).
