Gwinnett Police identify remains of woman found in 1982 as missing mother

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Police have identified remains found in the 1980s in Stone Mountain as a woman who vanished in the early 1970s.

Gwinnett County police said the remains are that of Marlene Standridge.

Police used genealogy from the victim’s daughter, Janis Adams, to identify her. Police said Standridge’s remains were found off of Deshon Drive in 1982, but police believed the remains had been there for 6 to10 years. Detectives were not able to identify the victim at the time.

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Adams told police she never knew what happened to her mother, but thought she had either abandoned her as an infant, left Atlanta or been murdered in the early 70s. Her father, uncle and brother all claimed to not know what happened to her when she vanished.

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Adams met with detectives on Aug. 25, 2021 and provided a DNA sample. In early September, a lab was able to determine Adams and the remains were a match.

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Anyone who has information on the case or who knew Marlene Standridge is asked to contact GCPD detectives at 770-513-5300. To remain anonymous, tipsters should contact Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or visit www.stopcrimeATL.com. Crime Stoppers tipsters can receive a cash reward for information leading to an arrest and indictment.

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