US EditionRemains in Santa Cruz County riverbed belong to New York teen missing since 1975
- On March 22, 1995, partial skeletal remains were discovered in a riverbed off Highway 129 east of Rogge Lane in Santa Cruz County.
- The victim, Laura O'Malley, a 13-year-old girl from Queens, New York, had been reported missing in August 1975 and her family had not heard from her since.
- For decades, the victim's identity remained a mystery, prompting a reexamination of the case in 2019 and subsequent forensic testing, including carbon dating.
- Between 2022 and 2023, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office partnered with Othram, a Texas-based genetic genealogy company specializing in forensic DNA analysis, to extract DNA, develop a genetic profile, and conduct genealogical research, ultimately leading to the identification of the remains.
- Sheriff's officials credited forensic advancements for providing answers to Laura's family, while authorities are urging anyone with information about the case to contact the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office at 471-1121, though it remains unknown how Laura O'Malley arrived in California and investigators are working to piece together the details of her life and the events leading to her death estimated between 1977 and 1984.
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Kron 4 NewsReposted by 
PIX 11
PIX 11Girl, 13, found dead in Santa Cruz identified after three decades
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KRON) -- A 13-year-old girl who was found dead along a river in south Santa Cruz County three decades ago was recently identified through DNA testing, investigators said. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office partnered with a forensic DNA lab, Othram, to develop new leads in the cold case. "As a result of this collaboration, we successfully identified the remains as those of 13-year-old Laura O’Malley from Queens, New York,"…
·San Francisco, United States
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KTVU FOX 2Reposted by 
WNYW
WNYWSkeletal remains found in Santa Cruz County in 1995 identified as missing 13-year-old from New York
Skeletal remains discovered 30 years ago in a Santa Cruz County riverbed have been identified as those of a 13-year-old New York girl who was reported missing in 1975, officials said.
·Oakland, United States
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Total News Sources13
Leaning Left1Leaning Right0Center8Last UpdatedBias Distribution89% Center
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