Regina Hess had been estranged from relatives for decades, and investigators still do not know how or when she died.
BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — Human remains found by a landscaping nursery worker in a wooded area more than three years ago have been identified as Regina Hess, a 74-year-old woman whose relatives said they had not seen her in more than 50 years, authorities said.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office identified Hess through forensic investigative genetic genealogy, family research and DNA testing after traditional investigative methods failed to put a name to the remains. Hess was born Aug. 22, 1948. Her cause of death remains undetermined, and investigators consider the circumstances suspicious as they seek information about her final years and how she came to be in the wooded area.
The case began May 11, 2023, when an employee of a landscape nursery working on an adjacent property found skeletal remains in the 8000 block of South Military Trail in unincorporated Boynton Beach. Investigators believed the remains had been there for an extended period. Clothing recovered with them included a gray tank top and black pants. The Palm Beach County Office of the Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy but could not determine a cause of death.
Staff and students with Florida Gulf Coast University’s Human Identity and Trauma Analysis Program helped excavate and examine the remains. Early analysis suggested they belonged to a white adult woman estimated to be between 40 and 70 years old and approximately 5 feet to 5 feet 4 inches tall. Authorities later learned Hess was 4 feet 11 inches tall and about 74 when her remains were found.
Investigators spent the next several years trying to determine the woman’s identity. In April 2024, Bode Technology developed a partial DNA profile that was entered into the national Combined DNA Index System, known as CODIS. Authorities did not receive a match. Four months later, the sheriff’s Forensic Imaging Unit released a facial reconstruction showing what the unidentified woman may have looked like in life, but the public appeal also failed to produce an identification.
The investigation took a new direction in April 2025, when the sheriff’s Cold Case Unit partnered with forensic DNA company Othram. The laboratory used advanced DNA sequencing to build a more detailed genetic profile. Investigators then used forensic genetic genealogy, which can identify possible relatives and allow researchers to work through family trees in an effort to identify an unknown person.
Othram provided investigators with possible family leads in April 2026, and continued research led authorities to Hess’s name. In July, Bode Technology conducted a kinship analysis involving DNA connected to a person believed to be Hess’s deceased sister. Results issued Aug. 18, combined with genealogy work by Othram and the sheriff’s office, produced the positive identification. Authorities said investigators traced family lines back to the 1890s as part of the effort.
Hess’s next of kin, a first cousin, was notified after the identification. Investigators learned that Hess had been estranged from her family for decades. Relatives told authorities they had last spoken with her about 10 to 12 years ago and had not seen her in more than 50 years. Authorities have not released a photograph of Hess and have said they still have substantial gaps in the timeline of her life before her death.
Identifying Hess answered one major question but left investigators trying to determine what happened to her. The sheriff’s office has not announced a manner or date of death, and the medical examiner’s finding on the cause of death remains undetermined. Authorities have not publicly identified a suspect or said that anyone has been charged in connection with the case.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office continues asking people who knew Hess, encountered her during the years she was separated from her family or have information about the circumstances of her death to contact its Cold Case Unit. Detectives said the identification has given them a starting point for reconstructing the years before her remains were found, but the investigation remains open.
Author note: Last updated September 19, 2026.