A major break in a Campbell County cold case featured on Ten News last May.
After more than 10 years, investigators have identified a woman found dumped along Interstate 75.
"I'll never forget it the rest of my life, " says Don Farmer Captain with the Campbell County Sheriff's Department.
There are some cases that stick with investigators.
For Captain Farmer that case came on January 9, 1997. It was the day he and Detective Eddie Barton were among the first to discover a gruesome scene.
Captain Farmer says, "I had hope. I had hope. You don't ever give up. There's family out there somewhere."
For more than 10 years, the name of the woman found stabbed, strangled and dumped off Exit 144 was unknown.
Today, she's known as Ada Elena Torres Smith because of some persistent police.
Campbell County Sheriff Gary Perkins says, "It's very gratifying to know my detectives we able to come up with the leads necessary to positively identity Ms. Smith."
An organization called the Doe Network which helps find missing or unidentified people knew about the distinctive tattoos that covered the woman's body.
When investigators in El Paso, Texas started talking about some unique tattoos on one of their victims, everything came together.
Captain Farmer adds, "While I was on the phone the family was describing the tattoos before even receiving them. They were extremely excited you know."
Smith's family is expected to come to Campbell County to retrieve her remains.
She has been buried in a local cemetery for years surrounded by strangers.
Soon Smith will rest among relatives.
"I'm hoping this will assist us in getting the person responsible for her death behind bars," adds Sheriff Perkins.
This is the 40th ID the Doe Network has been involved in.
Robin Murdoch can be reached at rmurdoch@wbir.gannett.com