Nearly half a century after a passerby discovered the body of an unidentified woman off Montauk Highway, Suffolk County investigators are renewing their effort to identify one of Long Island’s most enduring mysteries: the homicide victim known only as “Montauk Mary.”
The Discovery in 1978
On March 22, 1978, at approximately 12:30 p.m., a passerby walking through East Overlook Park found the woman lying face-up on a footpath just 15 feet from the parking lot. East Hampton police arrived to find a white woman believed to be in her 60s, around five feet tall and roughly 200 pounds, with short gray hair and hazel eyes.
She wore a plaid tweed overcoat, a multicolored paisley-pattern dress, a shawl, white socks, and orange bedroom slippers with black soles. There were no tags on her clothing, and she wore no undergarments. Her face was recognizable, suggesting she had been dead only hours.
The Medical Examiner later determined she had been shot four times, once in the chest and three times in the legs. Detectives were unsure if she had been killed at the site or transported there.
Early Investigative Leads
Local reporting at the time captured a community unsettled by the baffling crime. A March 1978 Newsday report described her as 5-foot-2, about 204 pounds, with gray hair and wearing a brown-and-gray coat, blue-and-purple dress, and slippers. Police noted that, despite the visible gunshot wounds, she showed no signs of struggle.
Within days, detectives found what they believed was their first real lead. The owner and three waitresses at the Paradise Restaurant in Sag Harbor reported that the woman looked very much like a reclusive, polite, poorly dressed patron who visited two or three times a week. She always ordered the cheapest fish sandwich and a dish of chocolate ice cream, tipped lightly, and drove a 1960s yellow convertible. One waitress positively identified the coat as the same one worn by their customer.
But when detectives canvassed the region, they uncovered a complication: a woman matching the same description had moved from Sag Harbor to Lake George, and had been seen alive weeks after the murder. As one homicide lieutenant told Newsday at the time: “We are back to square one.”
The Daily News: “Who Was Montauk Mary?”
A gripping Daily News article from the era underscored just how perplexing the case was. It described her clothing in detail-the coat, paisley shawl, white socks, orange slippers-and highlighted several troubling physical conditions:
-
A gangrenous toe on her left foot, suggesting she struggled to walk and relied on the bedroom slippers.
-
Evidence of heart disease and circulatory problems.
-
Brown-stained, worn-down teeth, signaling poor diet and limited medical care.
-
A final meal of a “potato-like” substance.
-
Signs she had given birth to one to three children.
The article posed painful possibilities: Was she a recluse? Estranged from family? Abandoned by those who should have cared for her? Or had someone-perhaps someone close to her-decided to “get rid of her”?
Detectives at the time checked missing persons records nationwide, circulated flyers throughout senior centers, churches, physicians’ offices, pharmacies, and social service agencies. Nothing matched. No one ever came forward.
The 2025 Forensic Update
In 2025, the Suffolk County Cold Case Task Force partnered with Suffolk County Police Department forensic artist Danielle Gruttadaurio to create an updated sketch using improved reconstruction techniques. The sketch depicts what the woman and her clothing may have looked like shortly before her death.
This new image marks the most significant visual update in the case in decades, and investigators hope it will spark a memory in someone who knew her, even faintly.
Who Was “Montauk Mary”?
What is known after 47 years:
Vital Characteristics
-
White female, likely 60–69 years old
-
5’0″ tall, approximately 204 pounds
-
Short gray hair, hazel-brown eyes
-
Prominent mole on the right side of her mouth
-
Recognizable face at time of discovery
-
Shot four times (homicide)
Clothing & Items
-
Paisley-pattern dress
-
Plaid tweed coat
-
Paisley shawl
-
White socks
-
Orange slippers
Health Indicators
-
Gangrenous toe on left foot
-
Heart and circulatory issues
-
Poor dental condition
-
Final meal: potato-like substance
Despite all of this, her name is still unknown.
Detectives still believe someone, a relative, a former neighbor, a coworker, a person from one of her regular stops, could hold the missing puzzle piece.
Investigators Are Asking for the Public’s Help
Anyone with information, no matter how small, is urged to contact the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office at contactda@suffolkcountyny.gov or (631) 263-0526.
After 47 years, Suffolk officials say it’s not too late to finally give Montauk Mary her name, and her justice.
