Decomposed remains found in California creek in 1993 identified
02/14/2024 1:48 pm PST
SONOMA COUNTY, Calif. (TCD) -- Investigators recently identified the remains of a woman found in a creek nearly 30 years ago.
On Aug. 8, 1993, two hikers found the skeletal remnants in a remote area near Pine Flat Road in Healdsburg, according to the DNA Doe Project. The woman was believed to be about 30 to 40 years old and between 5-foot-5 and 5-foot-7. She was also found wearing two yellow metal bracelets.
Due to the level of decomposition, investigators were unable to identify Jane Doe, and the case went cold, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office said in a Feb. 13 news release.
The sheriff's office and coroner submitted Jane Doe’s DNA to the DNA Doe Project in 2022. They then used genetic genealogy to identify a possible family member that led investigators to Jane Doe's son. After comparing the son's DNA with Jane Doe's, investigators identified the victim as Robin Fay Hendrick, born in 1953.
According to the sheriff's office, Hendrick lived in Vallejo, and she was last seen alive there in February 1992. Deputies said Hendrick's death was suspicious and "little is known" about her.
The investigation is ongoing.
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