Rebecca Sue Hill, a white female teenager aged 16 or 17, disappeared from Arkansas in 1981. At the time of her disappearance, she was not reported missing due to a tragic misidentification: human remains found in Little Rock, Arkansas, were mistakenly believed by her family to be hers. As a result, her actual disappearance went unrecorded in national databases.
Her true fate remained unknown for decades.
On April 18, 1984, partially skeletonized remains of a white female were discovered in a wooded area near Lake Dorr in Altoona, Florida, within the Ocala National Forest. The remains were located approximately 450 feet east of Highway 19 and three miles north of Highway 42. The unidentified victim, estimated to be between 16 and 17 years old, was given the name “Judy Doe” by investigators. She had fine, straight reddish-brown hair, two missing upper teeth, and discolored remaining teeth. Her fingernails were painted coral or orange, and she had a pierced left ear. Clothing found with the body included Wrangler jeans, a black T-shirt with “Here Comes Trouble,” a light-colored shirt with “Have You Kissed Your Child Tonite,” and tan canvas shoes with blue trim.
Despite extensive efforts using skeletal reconstructions, dental records, and early DNA testing, the identity of the white female teenager remained unknown for over 40 years. In 2023, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office partnered with a private forensic lab specializing in genetic genealogy. After a year of genealogical research, a potential family member was located and provided a DNA sample. In December 2024, the remains were conclusively identified as those of 16-year-old white female Rebecca Sue Hill.
Her death is classified as a homicide. Investigators have considered the possibility that she may have been a victim of serial killer Michael Ronning, who was active in the area at the time. Ronning, later convicted of a separate murder in Arkansas in 1986, had admitted to multiple killings while in prison and offered information about a body in Lake County, Florida, in exchange for avoiding the death penalty. He died in prison in 2022. As of now, no arrests have been made in connection with the murder of white female teenager Rebecca Sue Hill, and the investigation remains open. Authorities continue to seek information that could lead to the resolution of this decades-old case.
