“We are proud of the work conducted by the California Department of Justice Missing and Unidentified Persons Unit.  This work and the latest technology are assisting law enforcement with Doe identifications which can lead to solving homicides.  In addition, it helps to provide answers to relatives of those who died and were not immediately identified.”

– CSLEA President Alan Barcelona

SONOMA COUNTY –  On May 8, 2024, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office requested the public’s help in solving a 1967 homicide case and announced that due to its success working with the DNA Doe Project, it has expanded its genetic genealogy caseload with the help of the California Department of Justice (DOJ) Missing and Unidentified Persons Unit.

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On February 3, 1967, the decomposed remains of a woman were found down a steep cliff off Highway 1, north of Jenner. Jane Doe’s cause of death was listed as multiple fractures to her skull and ribs, but how she got the injuries was unknown. After efforts to identify Jane Doe were unsuccessful, she was laid to rest at the County of Sonoma Cemetery.

In 2009, Jane Doe’s body was exhumed with the assistance of anthropology professor Dr. Mark Griffin, from San Francisco State University. Based on Dr. Griffin’s examination of Jane Doe, it was determined she was a white woman, between 40 and 46 years old, and was the victim of a homicide.

In early 2023, Othram Inc. analyzed Jane Doe’s DNA. After DNA analysis, Othram Inc. identified her as Lillian Marie Cardenas. Lillian was born in 1928 and was last known to have lived in San Francisco. Her surviving family had been estranged from her prior to her death.

The Sheriff’s Office is looking for any information the public may have about Lillian’s life, or death, to help piece together what happened to her.

Due to the Sheriff’s Office’s success working with the DNA Doe Project, it has expanded its genetic genealogy caseload with the help of the California Department of Justice (DOJ) Missing and Unidentified Persons Unit. Othram Inc. is a pilot program under the DOJ, which agreed to take on ten of Sonoma County Sheriff Office Doe cases.