Detectives in Virginia announced they have identified the body of a teenage girl who went missing more than 47 years ago.

The Fairfax County Police Department on Monday identified the remains as Patricia Agnes Gildawie, also known as "Choubi."

Police said identifying the remains has been years in the making. It took 26 years from the time Gidawie went missing before her remains were even found, before another 21-year gap between their discovery and identification.

Veronique Duperly, who is Gildawie's older sister, still calls Gildawie "Choubi" when talking about this case, She said the update brought about mixed emotions, initially making her reminisce about the first few days after her sister went missing.

It was like going through a time tunnel. When they started telling me what they found, it was like everything in my head went into slow motion: her disappearance, us growing up together. It has been a long, long time. You go through life and she's still in your heart and in your memories, but you don't expect after so many years that anything would ever come about it," Duperly said. "At first, when she disappeared and we put posters up everywhere in the first couple of years, and then after a while we had gone on with our lives, always wishing there would be a phone call or a knock on the door."

But once that phone call came from Fairfax County police, a weight was taken off her shoulders.

Now, she hopes the update allows her family to move forward.

My heart dropped out of me. But then, a relief came over me because I finally knew where she was," Duperly said. "I am just so thankful they found out who she was and were able to contact us, and it just amazes me how science works. If it wasn't for science, I would still be wondering where she is. All the feelings came back again."

On Sept. 27, 2001, exactly 21 years ago, a construction crew found skeletal remains near a drainage ditch behind an apartment complex, along with some clothing, according to Fairfax County Cold Case detectives.

The remains were reviewed by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and an anthropologist. At that time, officials said the initial review found that the woman died from a gunshot wound to the head and the remains were like that of an African American in her late teens to early 20s.

In 2022, detectives worked with Othram Inc., a company that provides advanced DNA testing and forensic-grade genome sequencing, and learned that the remains belonged to a Caucasian woman.

Maj. Ed O'Carroll is the cyber and forensics major crimes bureau chief with the Fairfax County Police Department. He said the identification is a huge step in their investigation into Gildawie's murder.

"It was a, 'who done it.' We didn't know who she was. She had no ID," O'Carroll said. "This is a huge step, a major break in the case. Finding out who Jane Doe was step number one."

Detectives tracked down Duperly, using her DNA to try and find a match.

O'Carroll said it took so long to identify the remains because of the lack of advanced DNA technology in 2001. However, he said the ongoing help from the case's original detectives will continue to play a major role.

We always wondered who Jane Doe was. Advanced DNA testing and genealogy have given Jane Doe her name. It's Patricia, and we're hunting for who did her harm," O'Carroll said. "Both the detectives who worked on this case 21 years ago, we've been in touch with them. They're part of the investigation, even though they're retired. They did amazing work back then to preserve the best evidence, and we're using that best evidence and advanced DNA technology to get answers that, frankly, weren't available decades ago."

Authorities learned that Gildawie was born in France in February 1958 and came to the U.S. when she was eight months old. She moved to the Fairfax in the early 1970s.

Police said prior to her disappearance at age 17, Gildawie was dating an older man who worked at an upholstery store. Police said Gildawie was last seen on Feb. 8, 1975.

Detectives are now looking to speak with the man, as well as any other friends.

We're looking for him. We're anxious to talk to him. We want to talk to any of her friends, acquaintances, maybe some of her enemies," O'Carroll said. "We have some limited information on who this older man was. We suspect he might still be living. We know where he worked. That company is no longer in business. We're scouring through old records and tax forms, and all sorts of things to try to get his identity. We're very anxious to talk to him. He's a person who was in Patricia's life back in 1975."

Duperly said she remembers the older man.

She last saw her younger sister driving a white Cadillac Eldorado with a red interior, which was a car she believed belonged to the man.

I told her, 'You best be careful. You don't want to get stopped in that car. They'll throw your butt in jail.' She said, 'Oh, I'll be fine. I'll see you later.' That's what she always said and always showed up. This time, she never showed back up," Duperly said. "Weeks turned into months. Months turned into years."

Despite the big break in the case, there's a lot more work to be done, according to detectives.

However, there is now a glimmer of hope that Gildawie's killer will be found and brought to justice for perhaps the first time in decades.

We have a lot of work to do, but now that she has her name back, we're all in to get this case solved," O'Carroll said. "We are using science and technology. We'll continue using science and technology to solve cases. This case isn't cold. It's hot."

Detectives said they will continue to investigate this case with new information provided by the family.

Duperly said she is hoping an arrest will bring the family closure.

I want to know who did it. I want to know why. In reality, I want to live in reality, it has been 47 years. I don't think a child did this to my sister. I don't think a teenager did this to my sister. I think [an adult] did this to her. You add 40 years to that life, and I don't know if they're still alive. I pray to god [they are]. I pray to god [they get] caught. All I want to know is why [they] did it," Duperly said. "They just left her there to rot. That was a very, very long time."

Until then, Duperly will keep a promise made to her mother.

Right now, she's coming home," Duperly said. "She's coming home and she's going to be next to her mother. I told my mother on her dying bed that she's going to see Choubi. I'm keeping a promise."

Anyone with information about the case is asked to submit tips through Fairfax County Crime Solvers. Tips can be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by phone at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477), as well as online. Anonymous tipsters are eligible for cash rewards of $100 to $1,000.