NEWS RELEASE
Cold Case Closed: Remains Confirmed by FDLE as Palm Coast Woman Who Went Missing in 2003
Date:Thursday, June 25, 2026
The human remains found by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, and others in February have been positively identified as Mary Lou Combs, a Palm Coast woman who went missing in 2003. Combs’ identity was determined following DNA testing.
During lab testing by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification, the DNA profile from the remains — located underwater in the Intracoastal Waterway alongside a vehicle and other items belonging to Combs — was compared to previously submitted samples in the Combined DNA Index System database from Combs’ son and two of her siblings.
DNA testing determined the DNA profile from the remains is consistent with a parent‑child relationship when compared to DNA from Combs’ son. Testing also showed results consistent with a full biological sibling relationship when compared to DNA from Combs’ siblings. Based on the findings, FCSO detectives confirmed the remains are those of Mary Lou Combs, who had been missing for 23 years.
“These findings confirmed what we suspected in February, which is that we had finally found Mary Lou Combs after all these years,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “I want to thank everyone again for their efforts on this case to finally bring Mary Lou’s family some answers after over two decades of uncertainty.”
For information on remaining unsolved FCSO cold cases, visit flaglersheriff.com/cold-case.