Cynthia Lynn Davis

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Madison County Sheriffs Office (AL)

Offense Location:

Harvest, Alabama

Summary:

Cynthia Lynn Davis was 18 years old when her skeletal remains were found in Harvest Alabama on October 16, 1997. Her nude body was believed to have been dumped into Indian Creek sometime in late 1996. Her identity was confirmed through DNA testing in November 2011 and made public in 2012. The case remains unsolved.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

On October 16, 1997, a hunter was walking through the woods near Indian Creek Road, south of Kelly Springs Road, in Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama when he came upon skeletal remains wrapped in plastic. The victim was wrapped in plastic sheeting used in construction, and was secured with duct tape. Investigators believe her nude body was dumped into Indian Creek sometime in late 1996, where it drifted and washed ashore onto the bank. The body was likely abandoned nearly a year before the hunter found it. It was determined the deceased had been a white female between the ages of 15 and 19. She'd stood between 4'10" and 5'1", and had shoulder-length dark blonde or light brown hair with a reddish tint.

Additional Details:

During the 1990s, Cynthia's family relocated from California to northern Alabama, and it was around this time that she became estranged from them and lost contact. Her stepfather lost touch with her around Christmas 1995 when family politics came between him and his ex-wife. There were no missing persons reports filed during the period when she is believed to have disappeared. Rumors indicated she was working as a dancer at strip clubs, then as a waitress at coffee restaurants, and at one point was said to be working at a Waffle House. A break in the case came in June 2009, when Alan Merryman contacted the Madison County Sheriff's Office to say he believed the deceased to be his stepdaughter, Cynthia Davis. Merryman's biological brother, Morris Davis Jr., provided DNA for testing. By May 2011, authorities reached out to Davis' mother in California and a sister, Anika in New York, who also provided DNA samples. By November 2011, when the tests yielded a match, investigators could identify the body. The news was released to the public in 2012, and her body was released to her family. Davis' remains were buried in California. No one has been arrested. The case is currently listed as an open homicide investigation.

Case Last Updated:

Jul 01, 2026