Investigators Seek Help Identifying Woman with Rendering from 1994 Homicide

Investigators in Riverside County are turning to new forensic technology to help identify a woman whose body was discovered in the desert more than three decades ago.

The Riverside County Regional Cold Case Homicide Team has released a new facial rendering of the unidentified victim, who was found in October 1994 near Eagle Mountain Road in Desert Center, north of Interstate 10.

According to investigators, workers with Southern California Edison discovered the body in a remote desert area.

Authorities believe the woman was between 25 and 35 years old, stood approximately five feet tall, and was wearing a necklace featuring a ship’s wheel and anchor medallion at the time she was found.

Using updated forensic genealogy and ancestry tools, investigators say an ancestry profile suggests the victim may have been of Southeast Asian descent.

Officials are now asking for the public’s help in identifying the woman. Anyone who recognizes the victim, her jewelry or may have information connected to the case is urged to contact investigators.

The case remains an active homicide investigation as authorities hope renewed public attention and advances in forensic science may finally provide answers after more than 30 years.