The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office has released a new facial approximation in hopes of identifying a cold case homicide victim and generating new leads in a 32-year-old murder investigation.
On October 20, 1994, Southern California Edison employees discovered the body of a deceased female in the open desert on Eagle Mountain Road, approximately .6 miles north of I-10, in Desert Center, California.
At the time, investigators described the victim as a female adult between 25 and 35 years old, approximately 5 feet to 5 feet 2 inches tall, and weighing about 130-150 pounds, with shoulder-length brown hair. She was wearing a yellow metal neck chain with a medallion in the shape of a ship’s wheel with an anchor in the center.
Despite extensive efforts over the years, including fingerprint and dental record comparisons, investigators were unable to identify the victim, and no new investigative leads emerged.
In 2023, the Regional Cold Case Homicide Team (RCCHT), re-examined the case using advances in forensic science, including forensic investigative genetic genealogy. Bone samples from the victim were collected and sent to a forensic laboratory for DNA analysis. The victim’s DNA profile was later developed and uploaded to a direct-to-consumer ancestry database. A genealogist assigned to RCCHT has been actively working to identify the victim.
In 2024, a photo rendition of the victim and a snapshot of her ancestry were created, which determined that she was of Southeast Asian descent, with brown eyes, black hair, and a light brown complexion.
The Riverside County Regional Cold Case Homicide Team is asking the community to contact investigators with any information about the identification of the victim, her jewelry, or knowledge about her disappearance or death. Any leads, no matter how insignificant they may seem, can be reported to the Investigator Ebony Caviness at 951-955- 0257 or [email protected].
Investigators encourage individuals to consider submitting their DNA to reputable ancestry databases, such as Family Tree DNA and GedMatch, as it can play a vital role in identifying unknown victims and advancing cold case investigations. Voluntary DNA submissions help establish familial connections and bring long-awaited answers to families.
The Regional Cold Case Homicide Team is comprised of members of the DA’s Office Bureau of Investigation, the Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner Department, and the Riverside Police Department. The team is available to assist in the investigation of cold case homicides for all Riverside County law enforcement agencies.
