John Wayne Gacy was convicted of killing 33 men between 1972 and 1978. (WJBC file photo)

By The Associated Press

CHICAGO - The search for more victims of serial killer John Wayne Gacy has led to authorities solving an unrelated cold case linked to Central Illinois.

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart's office says they've identified a Peoria native who went missing decades ago.

Daniel Noe was living in Washington state and planned to return to Illinois. He was in his early 20s and going to hitchhike. He was never heard from again.

Family believed he was a Gacy victim.

Gacy was convicted of murdering 33 young men. Authorities renewed efforts to identify more victims last year. Dozens of families of men who disappeared during the 1970s came forward, including the Noe's.

DNA testing didn't provide a link to Gacy, but did link to the remains of a deceased person in Utah.