It’s been nearly 41 years since a woman was found dead on the Black Warrior River in Tuscaloosa County, and authorities have released new images in hopes of identifying her.

Fisherman discovered the body on April 18, 1982, in the Foster’s Community. According to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, the woman had been severely beaten severely, strangled and sexually assaulted.

Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit Capt. Jack Kennedy said though she had suffered extensive trauma, her body was still in good condition which led investigators to believe she had only been dead about 24 to 48 hours.

Investigators believe the victim was possibly fishing in the area at the time of the attack, based on what she was wearing, according to her full profile on DoeNetwork.com.

Witnesses saw a woman matching the victim’s description on April 16, 1982, with a man about 35 to 40 years old. The pair’s vehicle, a 1973 or 1974 Ford LTD with a dark vinyl top with possible front-end damage, was stuck in a muddy area along Robert Cemetery Road, according to DoeNetwork.com.

The woman asked the two witnesses for help, while the man remained in the vehicle and was visibly upset. He swore and blamed the woman for the accident.

At the time her body was recovered, investigators took photographs of her to try to determine her identity. Her remains were exhumed in 2013 for DNA testing that was unavailable in 1982.

“Investigators spent a great deal of time searching missing person reports, and publicizing this case, but were unable to identify the victim,’’ Kennedy said. “The more recent investigation into her identity has included exhumation. “

Recently, the sheriff’s office worked with the FACES Lab at Louisiana State University to create new images of the victim from the original photographs and medical records. The FACES Lab Forensic Anthropology and Computer Enhancement Services) uses forensic imaging to create images of victims that are life-like, and more representative of how a victim would have actually appeared in life.

The images provided are in both color and black and white. “We are releasing these images to the public now in hopes that an acquaintance or family member may recognize the victim, so that she can be identified, and provide new leads into the investigation of her death,’’ Kennedy said.

The victim was a white female, 5-feet, 3-inches tall, with black/brown shoulder length hair, brown eyes and type “O” blood. She wore size 7 tennis shoes.

The medical examiner reported that she previously been pregnant and/or given birth to a child sometime in her life.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office at 205-752-0616 or the Violent Crimes Unit at 205-464-8690.