Barbara Overby {Coconut Police}
Coconut Creek police on Wednesday said they have identified a murder victim whose identity was unknown for 45 years.
The victim, previously known only as “Jane Doe,” was found dead on September 28, 1981, in a canal in the 6700 block of Lyons Road, according to the Coconut Creek Police Department.
An autopsy determined that she died from gunshot wounds to the head, police said. The woman carried no identification and investigators said they were unable to determine her identity.
In November, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office helped Coconut Creek Police find the victim’s original fingerprint card in the archives of the Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office. BSO ran the fingerprints through the National Crime Information Center database and there was a hit.
The fingerprints identified the victim as Barbara Overby, 24, of Fort Lauderdale, police said.
A Coconut Creek Police detective tracked down Overby’s father in North Carolina. Police said the family had not seen or heard from her in 45 years. Family members recalled rumors that she had been living in Florida, but were never able to confirm her whereabouts, police said.
The family provided two photographs of Overby, which police have released in hopes of generating new information related to the case.
The investigation into Overby’s murder remains ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Coconut Creek Police Department at 954-973-6700.
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