A new lead from a family member and a fingerprint match in Ohio finally gave authorities the answer they had sought since 2018
MOREHEAD, Ky. — For nearly eight years, she was known simply as “The Bridge Lady.”
Now, the unidentified woman whose death became one of Morehead's enduring mysteries finally has her name back.
The Rowan County Coroner's Office and Morehead Police Department announced Monday that the woman has been positively identified as Floy Denise Long, who was 65 years old when she died in December 2018.
Long's remains were discovered on December 15, 2018, beneath a bridge on Kentucky 32 in Morehead.
Rowan County Coroner John P. Northcutt responded to the scene, where the woman was pronounced dead at 12:44 p.m. An autopsy was later performed in Frankfort by Kentucky Chief Medical Examiner Dr. William C. Ralston.
Authorities determined that the woman had died of natural causes.
Determining who she was, however, proved far more difficult.
Years of Searching Produced No Identity
Local, state and federal authorities searched for information that might identify the woman or locate her relatives, but those early efforts were unsuccessful.
After several weeks, her remains were laid to rest on January 8, 2019, at Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens in Morehead.
Without a name, the woman gradually became known throughout the community as “The Bridge Lady.”
Authorities continued searching records and databases in the years that followed. According to the Morehead Police Department, Long had never been entered into a missing-person database, making the effort to identify her particularly challenging.
The case also attracted attention well beyond Rowan County.
Police said investigators received tips and information from concerned individuals across the United States and even from Europe over the years. Those leads were investigated, but none resulted in a positive identification.
Until recently.
A Family Member's Lead Changes Everything
According to Morehead Police, new information provided by a family member prompted investigators to take another look at the case.
That renewed investigation ultimately resulted in a fingerprint match through the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation in Columbus, Ohio.
The match provided what investigators had been seeking for almost eight years: a positive identification.
The woman buried in Morehead as an unidentified person was Floy Denise Long.
Coroner Northcutt has since been in contact with Long's family.
The identification brings an answer to a question that has remained with Morehead and Rowan County since December 2018.
Northcutt credited numerous people and agencies who contributed to the investigation over the years, including Sgt. Alex Hamilton of the Morehead Police Department; Dr. William C. Ralston and the Kentucky State Medical Examiner's Office; the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation; Detective Terry McConnell of the Columbus Police Department; and other local, state and federal personnel.
He also thanked the citizens of Morehead and Rowan County for their continued concern and interest in the unidentified woman throughout the years.
For almost eight years, the community knew her only by a nickname based on where she was found.
“The Bridge Lady” finally has her name back.
Floy Denise Long.
Sources: Morehead Police Department and WKYT. The Morehead Minute independently rewrote and compiled this report from information released by authorities and local media.