Laura O’Malley of Queens, New York, was 13 years old when she ran away from her family home in 1975.
In 1995, skeletal remains were discovered in Watsonville, California. At first, authorities thought the body was part of a “homestead burial” left behind by an early settler who’d lost a family member. However, DNA testing has now revealed that the bones belong to a teenage girl who disappeared in 1975.
The girl, Laura O’Malley, was 13 years old when she was reported missing in Queens, New York. Although the discovery of her remains has offered some closure to her family, many questions remain, including how Laura got to California — and how she died.
Identifying The Remains Found In A California Riverbed
According to a press release from the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, Laura O’Malley’s skeletal remains were found in a riverbed off Highway 129 in Watsonville, California, on March 22, 1995.
At first, it was unknown who the corpse belonged to. DNA testing was able to establish that the remains were female, but a lack of technology prevented any deeper investigation.
Then, in 2019, the case was re-examined. Using forensic testing, including carbon dating, investigators were able to learn more about the remains. They found that they likely belonged to someone who had been born in the 1960s and died sometime between 1977 and 1984…