Posted on 03/25/2025 3:32:38 PM PDT by nickcarraway
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office announced on Tuesday that they have identified the remains found in 1995 as those of a missing teen from New York.
On March 22, 1995, partial remains were found in a riverbed off Highway 129 east of Rogge Lane. All investigators could determine from DNA testing was that the remains were from an unknown female.
Her identity was a mystery for decades before her case was re-examined in 2019 when her remains were sent for more forensic testing, including carbon dating.
The testing determined that she was likely born in the 1960s, with her death estimated between 1977 and 1984, per a sheriff's office spokesperson.
She was identified as 13-year-old Laura Ann O’Malley from Queens, New York. She was reported missing in New York in August 1975.
Her family had not seen or heard from her since she went missing. The circumstances of her disappearance remain unclear.
"From 2022 to 2023, our office utilized advanced genetic genealogy to identify potential family members. Partnering with Othram, a leader in forensic DNA analysis, we were able to develop new investigative leads," said a sheriff's office spokesperson.
It is unknown how O’Malley arrived in California.
Radiocarbon dating cannot determine the calendar age, nor the exact age of a specimen.
Could it have been earlier. He was in jail from '77.
Not familiar with either name so I had to look them up...moved from Sacramento to Southern CA in 1970 - before their murdering sprees. Never heard of either...guess the ones in Southern CA took up all the headlines for serial killers at the time.
“”San Cruz”” = Santa Cruz
Can proof read until the cows come home and still GOOF - sorry!
Yes.
The remains were found in 95.
They probably compared her to existing DNA samples and dental records.
The article says the body was found in 1995. Rain in recent years is not a factor.
Radio carbon dating?
NO They examine the growth plates at the ends of bones which fuse in late teens/early 20’s when finish growing
Also sutures in the skull close up as person ages .......
Also examine teeth to see if adult teeth present
Wisdom teeth come in later teens
So did I.
The can estimate based on the bones. The bones in the skull and the pelvis can be pretty close when gauging age. It’s akin to counting rings of a tree.
Yes, I remember them. Herbert Mullins lived in front of my friends home. He used to wave to us through his window, was above the bo0ardwalk on a hill. Freaked out him mom more than us but we were just teens, it was normalLater when in nursing school took a psychology course and we studied Mullins. Guy was an x,x,y chromosome.
Used to hitch home from school and another friend and I were being kidnapped , jumped out of the truck before they took a right turn on Hwy 9. (Soquel and the guys just sped up, took Hwy one and we were in a back pickup with a camper, started tossing everything out the back and screaming at cars for help and jumped at about 35 mph)
I can’t tell you all the stories. Craziest was riding my horse by the river in Felton, came to a clearing and my horse( young untrained) wanted to bolt. Inside that clearing was a black slate altar inside a stand of redwoods with fresh blood. I let her run back to the stables.
It wasn’t just those two but yes, they were the biggest. There was a lot of LSD and weird cults including the Rajaneesh Orange people, Erhards training seminars, JImmy Jones Peoples Temple sect members( lot of people lived in SC, Dianetics name it Santa Cruz had em.
Wow!
ERUPTION OF MOLARS CAN HELP.
On March 22, 1995, partial remains were found in a riverbed off Highway 129 east of Rogge Lane. All investigators could determine from DNA testing was that the remains were from an unknown female.
Her identity was a mystery for decades before her case was re-examined in 2019 when her remains were sent for more forensic testing, including carbon dating.
By examining her teeth and growth zone near the ends of bones.
There was plenty of bloodshed on Hwy 17 before they put up the concrete barrier down the middle of the road. I was always amazed at how the thing was covered in skid marks from one end to the other.
Carbon dating is very accurate for items say several thousand years old.
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