Mary Tracy's murder solved after 44 years.
A cold case that has haunted Ada County for 44 years has finally been resolved. The Ada County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) has announced a breakthrough in the investigation into the murder of Mary Tracy, who was brutaly murdered in 1980.
Mary was last seen on the afternoon of June 24, 1980, along Chinden Boulevard in Garden City. Two days later, her remains were discovered by a work crew on Highway 55, near the future site of the Shadow Valley Golf Course. Investigators found her body in an irrigation ditch, displaying multiple stab wounds to her neck and chest, along with dried blood on her head.
Despite exhaustive interviews and inquiries back in 1980, authorities could not identify any suspects, and the case went cold.
Fast forward to August 2023, when the ACSO reopened the investigation. Detectives meticulously reviewed old case files, submitted DNA from a sexual assault kit to the Idaho State Police Forensic Lab, and conducted additional interviews. Their efforts led them to a potential suspect, Charles Nicholas Strain.
Strain had a notorious history; he was imprisoned in Utah for the murder of his stepdaughter, Deeana Dean, in 1981, and passed away in prison in 2007. Investigators managed to obtain a DNA sample from Strain for comparative analysis, which yielded a "Very Strong" match with the DNA found on Mary’s remains.
While the ACSO has made significant progress in closing this case, they are still seeking further information. They urge anyone who worked at the Sunliner Motel during the summer of 1980 to come forward. Additionally, they are trying to locate one of Mary’s friends, known only as Lisa, who may have been one of the last people to see her alive. If you have any information that could aid the investigation, please contact the ACSO at 208-577-3102.
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