Kittitas County Press Release
Sheriff
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Human Remains Identified as missing Seattle Woman
Kittitas County, WA - 06/03/2011 - The Skeletal remains found in a shallow grave on the Suncadia Resort Property near Ronald Washington have been identified as 22 year old Kerry M. May (Hardy), last seen in 1972 near the Capitol Hill are of Seattle.
The Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with Dr. Kathy Taylor of the King County Medical Examiners Office has positively identified the female skeletal remains discovered September 6, 2010 at the Suncadia Resort located just west of Cle Elum, as Kerry M. May-Hardy. Kerry May was last seen in June of 1972 near the Capital Hill area of Seattle, WA. Kerry May was married and 22 years old at the time. Her disappearance was reported to the Seattle Police Department by her mother.
When the remains were recovered, dental information was entered into the National Data Base but no hits were obtained. A bone sample was sent to the University of North Texas (UNT), the Center for Human Remains for DNA testing.
A composite sketch was generated from the remains by forensic artist, Natalie Murry of ID Forensic Art in conjunction with the King County Medical Examiner’s Office. Kerry May’s family contacted the Sheriff’s Office after seeing a media release including the sketch because they believed the sketch closely resembled Kerry May.
On June 1, 2011 UNT notified the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office of a “cold hit” involving the submitted bone sample. A match was made to a DNA reference sample of Kerry May’s mother collected in 2004 by King County Sheriff’s Detectives during the course of the Green River Investigation. The sample was then transferred to Seattle Police Department where it was later sent to the UNT for testing.
The case is being actively investigated by the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators will begin searching for and reviewing the original reports and seeking friends and relatives who may remember the circumstances of the victim's disappearance.
If anyone has any information regarding Kerry May-Hardy in 1972, they are asked to contact Detective Andrea Blume at 509-962-7069.
Read the full press release: Kerry May - Photograph  100 KB
Additional files: Kerry May - Sketch 2904 KB
Kittitas County, from the Cascades to the Columbia, and online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us
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Contact (media only): Clayton Myers, Undersheriff
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