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Myrtle Holcomb

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Myrtle Holcomb (born 1919) was a woman whose burning body was found in a field in McCullers Crossroads, North Carolina, on April 28, 1968.

She was identified with the assistance of Astrea Forensics in November 2025.

Background[]

Holcomb lived in Florida before her disappearance, and was married with two children. Her family knew she was traveling to Raleigh, North Carolina, but did not know why.

Case[]

On April 27, 1968, a woman wearing a green-and-white polka-dot dress was seen walking down Ten Ten Road in McCullers Crossroads, a community in southern Wake County between Fuquay-Varina and Raleigh, North Carolina. One witness stated that her mother and sister saw the woman while driving to a church up the road. About fifteen minutes later, upon returning, they noticed a fire burning in a field. The women initially thought a farmer was burning something until the next day, when a body was found in that spot.

The woman's body was burned up to the stomach, and a two-gallon fuel can was found near the body. While an autopsy found no evidence of a struggle, soot was found in the woman's windpipe, indicating that she was unconscious but still alive when her body was on fire.

A tobacco planter named Robert Reagan was brought in for questioning in 1968. Reagan stated that he and a friend drove up the road to get a look at the woman, but she had vanished by the time they arrived. Since she was unfamiliar to the neighbors, investigators suspected that the woman might have traveled from Canada, where Reagan had previously worked. Reagan passed away in 1992.

In 2004, police reopened their investigation into Reagan after receiving new information from a witness, including that Reagan had in his possession an identity document with the surname "Holcomb." Although the District Attorney's office advised it had sufficient evidence to pursue a murder charge against Reagan, no charges were filed since he had passed away twelve years earlier.

The whereabouts of Holcomb's remains are unknown, as she was buried in an unmarked grave in O'Rorke-Catholic Cemetery. However, hair and blood samples were collected from the initial investigation.

Identification[]

A sample of her hair was provided to Astrea Forensics in 2024, who were able to use it to obtain a DNA profile. A forensic genealogist then analyzed the DNA results and identified the woman's potential relatives. Further testing confirmed Holcomb as the victim of the 1968 homicide.

Characteristics[]

  • Small ears.
  • 2.5 inch surgical scar below the left side of her navel, possibly from an appendectomy.
  • Blood type A positive.
  • Black hair.
  • Four missing teeth and multiple fillings.

Clothing and accessories[]

  • Green and white polka dot dress or blouse with a zipper.
  • Brown Italian-style loafers, possibly of a cheaper brand within the $4-$10 range.
  • Greenish-blue woman's all-weather coat with gray lining.
  • Possible remnants of undergarments and pantyhose.
  • Gold and brown smoke-colored glasses.
  • Greenish-blue scarf.
  • More expensive transistor battery, possibly for a radio.
  • Two metallic buttons.
  • Top of a ballpoint pen with the inscription "Unipeco Mt. Vernon N.Y. U.S.A.".
  • Skin Dew cream for dry skin.
  • Overnight medicated cream priced at $1.25.
  • Silk Fashion liquid makeup priced at $1.75.
  • Part of a glass top with "_ilk of _ntimate" by Revlon, possibly Silk of Intimate perfume.
  • Metal tubes or containers possibly used for lipstick or eyeliner.
  • Hair clips and possible greenish-blue hair net.
  • Wireframe for a standing makeup mirror and glass shards of a mirror.
  • Thin Gillette blade in a wrapper.
  • Pair of Permo TWEEZ tweezers.
  • Pocketbook.

Gallery[]

Sources[]

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