Arizona cold case investigators identify woman found stuffed in canvas sack in desert over 50 years ago

Arizona authorities have identified a woman found dead inside a canvas bag more than five decades ago after the surrounding community rallied to raise funds for DNA testing. 

The remains of Colleen Audrey Rice were found on Jan. 23, 1971 in the desert close to U.S. Hwy 93 on Hackberry Road, the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office said this week in a Facebook post. 

She was found in a canvas sack tied at the top with a white cotton rope. 

The sack had the words “Deer-Pak Ames Harris Neville Co.,” printed in green, authorities said.

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At the time, investigators were unable to identity the woman inside. After reaching out to an artist from the Museum of Northern Arizona, a sketch was created of what the victim might have looked like based on the features of her skull.

Last year, authorities partnered with Othram Inc., to conduct advanced DNA testing and Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing in hopes that an identification could be made. The sheriff’s office put in $1,000 and asked the public for help in raising the remaining $6,500 needed. 

The funds were raised within five days. 

“On January 23, 2023, the victim found her voice,” the sheriff’s office said. “DNA testing of a relative confirmed this after countless hours of investigation into her family tree and contact with distant family relatives.”

Rice was born in Portsmouth, Ohio on March 17, 1931. In 1946, she married William Davis in Ohio. Her parents were identified as James C. Rice and Flossie Truitt.

She was estranged from her family so little is known about her life or how she ended up in Arizona, authorities said. She would have been 39 around the time of her death. 

Investigators aren’t sure if she had children. Authorities are now looking into finding those responsible for her death.