After nearly 40 years, forensic DNA used to identify victim found on Crescent Beach

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office announced it has identified the remains of a body found on Crescent Beach nearly 40 years ago.

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On Apr. 10, 1985, workers digging during construction uncovered human remains in a shallow grave.

The only details investigators were able to confirm were the victim was a woman who might have been between the ages of 30 and 50 at the time of her death. They also determined that the death was a homicide.

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The case grew cold until 2023. That’s when detectives and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Forensic Services Regional Laboratory in Jacksonville sent the unidentified remains to a private laboratory in Texas. Using advanced technology in DNA analysis, a match was made of possible relatives.

After meeting with potential family members in North Carolina and comparing the DNA results, the identity of the victim was confirmed in January 2024 as Mary Alice Pultz.

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“Mary Alice was born in Rockville Maryland in 1943 and has two living relatives: a son (Norman Jenkins of Yuma, Arizona) and a sister (Patricia Allamong of Winchester, Virginia),” the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office said in a profile story on its website. “She was last seen by her family in 1968 when she left her boyfriend, John Thomas Fugitt, and became estranged from her family.”

The SJSO learned that Fugitt died in prison before his execution for the murder of his roommate in 1981.

SJSO Sheriff Rob Hardwick gave credit to DNA testing and the detectives for helping identify Mary Alice.

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“This investigation is a powerful example that we will never give up. The combination of highly skilled detectives and advanced DNA technology has given Mary Alice’s family some answers about her disappearance close to 40 years ago. Our Major Crimes detectives are some of the best in the business and I am proud of their dedication to be a voice for homicide victims and their families as we seek closure for loved ones.”

This case is still an active homicide investigation. If you have information related to Mary Alice Pultz or John Thomas Fugitt (aka Billy Joe Wallace) you are asked to contact SJSO at 888-277-TIPS (8477).

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