Remains in Santa Cruz County riverbed belong to New York teen missing since 1975
By Ricardo Tovar
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SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. (KSBW) — 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.
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