By the time a pair of bird hunters found "Saltair Sally" in October 2000, all that was left were 26 bones, including the skull with waist-length brown hair and bad teeth, that had been scattered by predators, a T-shirt sized to a larger person and a distinctive choker-style necklace composed of three beaded strands.

Investigators quickly figured the woman was about 5 feet tall, between the ages of 17 and 21, but it was only recently they learned the woman moved frequently about the interior Northwest, possibly indicating she was a runaway teenager. Providing grist for a potential episode of CSI: Salt Lake, a U. research team believes it can map where a person has been recently by studying the isotopes in his or her hair. Salt Lake County sheriff's Detective Todd Park provided 20 strands of Saltair Sally's hair to U. biologist Jim Ehleringer and geologist Thure Cerling, who offer forensics services through their business IsoForensics.

"Because she had such long hair Jim was able to give two years of data on her," Park said. "It showed she traveled between Salt Lake and Great Falls [Mont.], to the eastern Washington to western Wyoming. The isotopes showed she moved every two months of her life."

Park is also having the victim's teeth analyzed to yield possibilities of where she grew up and the year of her birth. If the victim were a runaway, this information would be extra helpful because the region she grew up is where investigators should look for a corresponding missing-person report.

"Once I know where she grew up, I'll be able to saturate both geographic areas," Park said.

Salt Lake County investigators also are using the hair forensics to help identify a body, found wrapped up near the Great Salt Lake in October 1978. This victim, discovered by hunters on a beach, was a woman around 35 to 40 with long dark hair.

"Once this information gets out to law enforcement that you can tell where people have been from their hair, Jim and Thure might get pretty busy," Park said.