Human remains discovered by kayakers in a Cape Coral canal have been identified as those of Rose Marie Gayhart, who vanished in 1985 at age 23. Police have classified her death as a homicide and are seeking information from the public.
Kayakers found the remains in May 2024 in a canal in northeastern Cape Coral. Investigators confirmed the identity in May using DNA samples from family members, with assistance from a local medical examiner's office and a New York sheriff's office.
Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore said the identification brings answers after four decades but strengthens the department's resolve to pursue justice. He described the case as an active homicide investigation and urged anyone with information to come forward.
Gayhart had been living and working in the Cape Coral and North Fort Myers area at the time of her disappearance. She was last seen at a restaurant then known as Big Howie's Hot Dogs and shared a trailer park home with her boyfriend and his mother.
Her sister, Laurie Travis, had searched for details for years. In a 2017 interview, Travis recalled that neighbors reported fighting at the trailer park and said she believed her sister had been murdered.
