Michele Elaine Oakes Boutilier was hit, and killed by a vehicle at 12:41 a.m. Dec. 5th, 1981, on I-10 Westbound.
The person who hit Boutilier was not cited, according to the St. Martin Parish Sheriff's Office.
Boutilier, who was 26 years at the time of her death, had no identification.
41 years later her daughter Angie Jordan now has some closure.
Angie Jordan, Daughter of Michele Elaine Oakes Boutilier said, "I can tell you that just like me that's probably where I get it from, she had a love for babies and a love for the elderly so and everybody that I've ever talked to that knew her said she had a temper like a wild cat."
According to officials DNA samples sent to the LSU Faces Laboratory, Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory and the University of North Texas Health Science Center for Human Identification linked Jordan to the woman who'd been unknown in Breaux Bridge for so long.
The City of Breaux Bridge came together to help solve the identity.
Ray Pellerin, Retired Funeral Director said, "When Ginny called me July 18th about 10 o'clock in the morning, and told me we've got a positive match I said to who and she said the people from Maine I got so emotional, I couldn't talk anymore I pulled over on the side of the road and just started crying you know, and I still get emotional about because, I see Angie and her family today my god that girl has been through so much so much so much thought her mom had abandoned her 41 years ago."
According to law enforcement social media played a role in solving the unknown identity as well.
Ginny Higgins, Public Affairs Commander at the St. Martin Parish Sheriff's office said, "When I received it, it was in 2017 and the people that did everything before I got involved in it left me some wonderful trails to follow but I think the thing that made it all different is that form the time this occurred from the attempts that were made over the years and when we took it and started kind of over with it in 2017 was that we had social media."
Now that Angie Jordan has some closure she now looks forward to starting her chapter of her forever love story in Breaux Bridge.
Angie Jordan, Daughter of Michele Elaine Oakes Boutilier said, "This has healed me, this has been a lifelong, it feels good it just feels right and I never have to wonder anymore, and I look forward to getting married here in Breaux Bridge next Friday so this story a chapter closes, and a chapter of love will end here."
