The Riverside County Regional Cold Case Homicide Team identified the remains of a 31-year-old victim thanks to the use of forensic genealogy.
"After a forensic genealogy investigation by the Riverside County Regional Cold Case Homicide Team, the remains have now been identified as Kathryn Coffey of Baldwin Park," according to the county district attorney's office on Twitter.
The discovery of human bones in a wash area at the base of a hill near Avenue 62 and Madison Street in Thermal kicked off the initial case on Jan. 22, 1991. However, the bones showed signs of extensive desert exposure indicating an extensive lapse of time, and they were investigators' only clue, according to Riverside County's media page.
Investigators suspected foul play, but with no leads to go on, the case eventually went cold, the county website said.
But, the Cold Case Homicide Team began a forensic genetic genealogy investigation earlier this year that tentatively identified the remains as Kathryn Coffey.
In June, investigators met with Coffey's sister and obtained DNA for further analysis, which lead to a positive identification. Formerly a Baldwin Park resident, Coffey was born Jan. 8, 1954. She had graduated in the mid-70s Phi Beta Kappa from Scripps College, obtaining a degree in English literature. According to her family, she was last known to be in the Indio area around 1989-1990, the media page reports.
Now that Coffey has been identified, the Riverside County Regional Cold Case Homicide Team is asking for help from anyone who may have information about her or may have seen something suspicious in the Thermal area in late January 1991. To help bring the person responsible to justice contact the team at 951-955-2777.