Thirty years ago, skeletal remains were discovered in California alongside a riverbed in Watsonville. At the time, DNA testing could only surmise it was a female, resulting in a cold case… until now.
Advanced technology led to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Department revealing that those bones had finally been analyzed to the point of identification. They belong to Laura O’Malley, a 13-year-old New York girl who went missing more than 50 years ago.
Skeletal Remains Found in California in the 90s Finally Identified
In a Facebook post, the sheriff’s office details how they were able to uncover the truth behind those remains found in 1995. Between 2022 and 2023, they partnered with a forensic DNA leader, Othram, and their high-tech tools to come to this revelation. It took a few years, but the collaboration finally led to closure for the O’Malley family by providing “long-awaited answers.”
Othram specializes in forensic-grade genome sequencing, genetic genealogy, and forensic bioinformatics. The company has also ingrained AI into its processes to help automate specific investigation steps.
In 2019, the case was reopened as new methods of DNA testing were utilized to try and determine how the victim died. Through carbon dating, it was believed the female passed away sometime between 1977 and 1984, according to FOX 5. That would have been minimally two years after she was first announced to have gone missing.
The cause of O’Malley’s disappearance in August 1975 and ensuing death remain a mystery, however. The post reiterated that they still don’t know how the young girl ended up on the West Coast.
From the sounds of it, this break in the case will add fuel to the ongoing investigation. As we’ve seen recently with cold cases that pop up again in the news, all it takes is a few internet sleuths to truly break open a once-thought-to-be dead end.
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