Through advancements in genealogy tech and perseverance decades later, the Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office was able to identify and provide closure for the family of Kathy Ann Smith, whose body was found in 1979 near Elgin.After exhuming the gravesite in 2019 for another DNA sample without success, Sergeant James Miller tried again in 2022. With the help of the District Attorney’s office, North Texas University and forensic laboratory Othram, a key discovery led to Smith’s eventual identification earlier this month.“The problem was she was adopted, that really played with us,” said Sheriff Maurice Cook, who took pride in his team’s ...