Missing girl’s remains identified 8 years after they were found near Texas oilfield
A Texas mother reported her missing 16-year-old daughter as a runaway in February 2000.
About 13 years later, in August 2013, the teen’s remains were found by workers surveying near an oilfield wellsite in Midland County — but nobody knew they belonged to Sylvia Nicole Smith.
It took over 8 years to confirm those partial remains belonged to Sylvia, authorities say, and now the Texas Rangers are investigating a homicide.
After Sylvia’s then-unidentified remains were found on Aug. 1, 2013, an “extensive search” for evidence was conducted, according to a June 27 news release from the Texas Department of Public Safety. Her remains were then sent to the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification.
DNA found that the remains belonged to a young female “who was likely the victim of a homicide,” but authorities say no matches were found via the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).
Years later, in 2020, the Texas Rangers and Midland County District Attorney’s Office began looking for new ways to identify the victim.
Results from Parabon Nanolabs revealed she was of African-American descent and confirmed her eye color, hair color and skin tone.
“A genetic genealogist who examined the DNA assisted with a match which led to a distant relative,” the state department said. “Rangers have interviewed numerous potential relatives to gather family information and in May 2022, information led to the victim’s mother in the Midland area. In speaking with the mother, she stated one of her daughters — Sylvia Nicole Smith — had been missing since 2000.”
The mom reported she last saw Sylvia on Feb. 14, 2000, and she filed a runaway report with the Midland Police Department four days later.
Texas Rangers took DNA samples from members of the Smith family, and, on June 9, authorities say they confirmed the remains belonged to Sylvia.
“A homicide investigation is now underway,” officials said.
If you have additional information regarding her death or disappearance, you can submit tips though the Texas Rangers’ Cold Case website or by calling the Missing Person Hotline at 1-800-346-3243. Tipsters who would like to be eligible for cash rewards should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-252-8477.
Midland County is in western Texas, about 345 miles southwest of Dallas.
She vanished New Year’s Eve 2013. Remains in abandoned home belong to her, MI cops say
Woman vanished from cabin 41 years ago. Skull found in a ravine is hers, WA cops say
Teen identified 30 years after body found. Now Indiana cops want to find her killer
