Remains found three decades ago in Santa Cruz County identified as missing New York teen Laura O'Malley
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday announced that human remains found almost exactly 30 years ago in a riverbed near Watsonville have been linked to a teen from Queens, New York, who went missing in 1975.
According to the release posted on the Sheriff's Office Facebook page Tuesday afternoon, the partial skeletal remains were discovered on March 22, 1995, in a riverbed off Highway 129 east of Rogge Lane near Watsonville. While DNA testing confirmed that the decedent was female, for decades, no identity of the remains could be determined. Additional forensic testing in 2019 that included carbon dating provided more chronological information, namely that the decedent was likely born in the 1960s, with an estimated date of death between 1977 and 1984.
The office used advanced genetic genealogy from 2022 to 2023 to identify potential family members. Partnering with forensic DNA analysis company Othram, authorities were able to develop new investigative leads. The collaboration led the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's office to successfully identifying the remains as those of 13-year-old Laura O'Malley from Queens, New York.
The post provided a photo of O'Malley.
O'Malley was reported missing in New York in August of 1975. Her family had not seen or heard from her since. It is not known when, or under what circumstances, the teen arrived in California. Authorities offered thanks to Othram and the use of forensic advancements that were able to provide some closure for O'Malley's family.
The circumstances surrounding the teen's death remain under investigation, authorities said. Anyone with information related to the case is urged to call Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office dispatch at 831-471-1121.
