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Police say they were alerted to a body by a tow-truck operator looking for a disabled vehicle eastbound on the Southern State Parkway, east of Fifth Avenue in Bay Shore on Friday, March 7, 1986.
The operator observed the body of an African-American woman lying in the snow in a wooded area just off the south shoulder of the parkway, police say.
The preliminary investigation identified the victim as Carolyn Smith, 29, of 98 Orange Street in Central Islip. She had been stabbed multiple times, police say.
Further interviewing determined that Smith was employed by Digital Equipment Corporation in New York City and commuted to work in a 1985 white Ford LTD station wagon, according to police.
Smith was last seen the previous night, March 6, 1986, when she was visiting a co-worker’s apartment in the Bronx, police say. She left the apartment around 11 p.m. and was heading to Newark Airport, according to police.
Police say Smith’s Ford station wagon was found at the Taft Housing Projects, located at 114th Street and Park Avenue in Manhattan, on April 8, 1986.
Hundreds of leads have been pursued since the incident 33 years ago, but the investigation is still active, police say.
Smith was described as being 5-foot-7 and 142 pounds with brown eyes and black hair. She was the mother of two children and was known to make frequent trips to Huntington Station and New York City, police say.
Anyone who may have information concerning this investigation is urged to call (631) 756-3300. Calls can remain confidential.
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