On March 22, 1978, at around 12:30 p.m., a passerby walking through East Overlook Park, on Montauk Highway, discovered a body lying face-up, approximately 15 feet from the parking lot. The passerby alerted law enforcement, who responded to the scene and observed the body was that of a white female, likely in her 60s, about 5 feet tall and weighing around 200 pounds. The victim had short gray hair, hazel eyes, and was dressed in a plaid tweed coat, a multicolored dress, and orange slippers. None of her clothing had tags, and the victim was not wearing undergarments.
The Medical Examiner determined the victim had been shot four times—once in the chest and three times in the legs—and had likely only been deceased for mere hours before being found.
In 2025, the Suffolk County Cold Case Task Force worked with Suffolk County Police Department forensic artist Danielle Gruttadaurio to create an updated sketch showing what the victim, and her dress/jacket, may have looked like just prior to her death. That image is contained herein.
The victim remains unidentified and is known only as “Montauk Mary.” If you have any information about this case or the woman’s identity, please email contactda@suffolkcountyny.gov or call (631) 263-0526.