“California Department of Justice (DOJ) criminalists play an important role in solving missing persons cases by examining DNA evidence, developing DNA profiles, and comparing those profiles with reference samples provided by family members. Through this forensic work, criminalists can help provide answers to families and assist in resolving long-term missing person cases.”

CSLEA President Alan Barcelona

HUMBOLDT COUNTY –On September 16, 2026 the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Officeannounced that DNA has resulted in the identity of partial remains found at Centerville Beach in March 2026.

The identification brings closure to a December 14, 1999 investigation in which a commercial fishing vessel Silver Spray was at the entrance to Humboldt Bay when it was struck by a large wave that ripped the vessel’s pilot house from the boat. The vessel’s captain and two crew members were thrown into the water and later recovered. The fourth crew member, Jonathan Raxa, 37, was lost and could not be located.

Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office investigators located Raxa’s son and obtained a family DNA sample. The sample was submitted to the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).

When a human bone was found at Centerville Beach in March of this year, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office deputies turned over the bone to the Humboldt County Coroner’s Office, which submitted it to the California Department of Justice for DNA analysis.

DNA was obtained from the bone and entered into CODIS. The Humboldt County Coroner’s Office was subsequently notified that the DNA profile from the bone matched the family DNA associated with Jonathan Raxa.

Raxa’s family was contacted and notified of the identification.