A decades-old missing person case has been solved after a Texas detective linked it to an unidentified hit-and-run victim found more than 50 years ago.

Norman Prater was reported missing by his family to the Dallas Police Department on January 14, 1973. Investigators opened a case that remained “active but unsolved for decades,” law enforcement said on Friday.

On the morning of July 9, 1973, an unidentified white man was killed in a hit-and-run crash on Highway 35 in Rockport, Texas.

“Despite extensive efforts by Aransas County authorities and local news outlets pleading for public assistance, the individual’s identity remained unknown,” police said.

Dallas Police said a recent re-examination of the Prater case by detective Ryan Dalby led to a new breakthrough in the investigation.

Dalby re-examined evidence and connected details from both cases, ultimately identifying a “compelling match” between Prater and the unidentified hit-and-run victim.

This is a developing story. More to follow.