Skeletal remains discovered in a California riverbed have been positively identified as those of a missing teenager who disappeared five decades ago.
Nearly 30 years ago, partial skeletal remains were found in a riverbed in Watsonville, California, but the victim’s identity remained unknown.
According to The Independent, officials at the time were unable to determine who the remains belonged to, though DNA testing confirmed they were from a female.
Decades later, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office partnered with forensic laboratory Othram to conduct further analysis.
In a Facebook post, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the remains belonged to a 13-year-old girl who had been missing from New York since 1975.
The post stated: “Laura O’Malley was reported missing in New York in August of 1975, and her family had not seen or heard from her since. It is not known when or under what circumstances Laura O’Malley arrived in California.”
In 2019, officials re-examined the case and conducted a carbon dating test, which determined that the teenager was born in 1960, with an estimated time of passing between 1977 and 1984.
“From 2022 to 2023, our office used advanced genetic genealogy to identify potential family members,” the post continued. “Partnering with Othram, a leader in forensic DNA analysis, we were able to develop new investigative leads.”
The cause of her passing remains unknown, as the Sheriff’s Office stated that “the circumstances surrounding her d.eath are still under investigation.” They also expressed gratitude that scientific advancements had finally provided Laura’s family with long-awaited answers.
A New York Daily Times article from 1978—three years after Laura’s disappearance—reported that she had two sisters and a brother.
The newspaper also stated that Laura and her siblings left their Long Island home due to difficulties in their relationship with their stepfather. The 13-year-old had even written a note to her mother, saying she would not return home if her stepfather was still there.
Her parents later separated, but Laura was unaware of this. Her family believed she would have come home had she known.
The Sheriff’s Office urged anyone with information related to the case to call 831-471-1121.
Source: unilap.com