ST. MARTINVILLE - The St. Martin Parish Sheriff's Office announced Monday that an investigation into a pedestrian death that happened in December of 1981 has come to an end. 

The victim, who had been unidentified since the crash, was found to be Michele Oakes-Gautreaux of Cut Off, who was 26 at the time of her death. During the initial investigation, officers were unable to contact any next of kin, and burial services were provided by St. Bernard Church and Pellerin's Funeral Home. 

Several local and federal law enforcement agencies were contacted to comb through their missing person databases, according to the press release sent out Monday, but no matches were ever found.

In 2017, however, the sheriff's office made a social media post revisiting the case. They received hundreds of tips and inquiries, specifically a Facebook message that ultimately led to a potential match in January 2022. The Louisiana State Police Crime Lab, the LSU FACES Lab, and the University of North Texas Health Science Center for Human Identification all determined a match was found.

"We would like to thank Dr. Teresa Wilson, Dr. Ginesse Listi, and the LSU FACES Lab staff for their assistance, guidance, and direction over the last several years," said the sheriff's office. "We cannot express enough the appreciation we had for your accessibility and willingness to answer the many questions that we had. Thank you also to the University of North Texas Health Science Center for Human Identification and the Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory for your assistance in reference to this case."