The human remains were found under a trailer in a park at 8150 W. Colfax Ave. in Lakewood on Aug. 18, 1977 behind the Top Notch Motel.
The body was too decomposed to immediately tell who she was.
Lakewood detectives searched through stacks of missing persons reports.
The girls had run away from home, disappeared while hitchhiking or possibly had been kidnapped.
Detectives were only able to narrow the search to 20 girls whose descriptions generally matched that of the body.
Staff at the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office compared dental records of missing girls. Detectives were also able to make fingerprints from the body.
The coroner, however, was not able to determine the cause of death.
The body had deteriorated too much.
But because of the circumstances, the girl’s death was considered a homicide.
Nearly two weeks passed before the identity of the murder victim was announced: Pamela Jean Bluemel.
Her dental records had helped in making the identification. It was confirmed with fingerprints.
It had been more than 16 years since the girl was born in July of 1961, but it was unclear whether she had ever made it to that milestone.
Pamela had last been seen at a double wedding reception in which two brothers married two sisters in Lakewood in December of 1976.
