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The body of a homicide victim found in California in 1979 has now been identified as Karen Marie Heverly from Jersey Shore, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said in a press release Wednesday.
Born Jan. 27, 1962, in Jersey Shore, 16-year-old Heverly left her parents' home in 1979 under unknown circumstances, according to a press release.
Heverly's body was discovered in a vineyard near Eighth Street and Rochester Avenue in Rancho Cucamonga, California, just before 12:30 p.m. on June 7, 1979. She suffered traumatic injuries, and the cause of death was determined to be a homicide.
Numerous attempts to identify Heverly went nowhere, with the case eventually going cold. It was reopened in 2023 by the department's Cold Case Homicide Team with the assistance of the San Bernardino County Coroner Division in hopes of identifying the victim, according to a press release.
The team submitted DNA samples to a forensic genealogy team, and through leads provided by that genealogical testing, the victim was positively identified as Heverly.
No arrests have been made in the case, which remains active, officials said.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Det. Justin Carty or Sgt. Justin Giles at the Specialized Investigations Division at 909-890-4904.
Callers can remain anonymous and contact We-Tip at 800-78CRIME or www.wetip.com.