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Family Finally Learns Fate of Teen Girl Who Vanished in 1968

Sandra Young had been missing for more than 50 years when her remains were finally identified.

Police in Oregon have finally been able to identify the remains of a teenage girl who went missing over 50 years ago. Sandra “Sandy” Young, a high school student, disappeared in 1968 or 1969. In 1970, a grave that had a piece of clothing and bone fragment near it was discovered on Sauvie Island, and police found a skeleton in the grave. The case went cold until 2023, when one of Young’s relatives uploaded their DNA test results to a genealogy site, and investigators contacted them to submit the results for further testing. After interviews with Young’s family and a progression in technology and DNA testing, Young’s identity was matched with the skeletal remains. “Sandra Young has now regained her identity after 54 years,” said Dr. Nici Vance at Oregon’s Medical Examiner’s Office. “Her story represents a remarkable amount of diligence.”