Former Portsmouth woman identified as victim in 52 year-old cold case

KINGMAN, AZ (WSAZ) - More than 50 years later, a Portsmouth woman was identified as the female victim in a 1971 cold case.

Detectives with the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office have identified the woman as Colleen Audrey Rice, from Portsmouth, Ohio.

In October 2021, the sheriff’s office requested public assistance with identifying the previously-unknown remains of a victim found 2.2 miles east of U.S. Highway 93 on Hackberry Road. Police say the victim was in a canvas sack tied at the top with a white cotton rope, with the words “Deer-Pak Ames Harris Neville Co.,” printed in green.

The MCSO Special Investigation Unit reached out to an artist from the Museum of Northern Arizona who sketched what the victim might have looked like based on the features of her skull.

In 2022, MCSO Cold Case investigators partnered with Othram Inc. to determine if DNA testing and Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing could help give insight into the woman’s identity.

Investigators said the woman was identified on Monday.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with information regarding Rice or the incident is encouraged to contact the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office SIU at 928-753-0753 ext. 4408 or call the toll-free number at 1-800-522-4312 and reference DR# 71-0383.

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