FLINT, Mich. (AP) — Police have identified the remains of a Michigan couple nearly 40 years after their bodies were found in two different states.
The remains of James Hendricks, of Flint, were found in Missouri in June 1978. His girlfriend, Kimberlin Mills of Millington, was discovered dead 12 miles away in Arkansas. Michigan State Police believe they were murdered by the same person.
Michigan State Police say neither was reported missing from Michigan at the time. Hendricks was a parole absconder and thought to have fled with Mills.
Missouri State Highway Patrol investigators re-ran samples from the case using new fingerprint matching technology in May, which identified Hendricks’ fingerprints on file with the Michigan Department of Corrections.
Authorities contacted the Hendricks family and learned about Mills. The Arkansas State Crime Lab identified Mills in December after collecting family reference DNA.
— 24 Hour News 8 contributed to this report.