The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office in California has confirmed that human remains found in a riverbed three decades ago belong to a 13-year-old girl from New York who disappeared in 1975. The remains were initially discovered near a highway in Watsonville, California, but early DNA testing only revealed that they belonged to a female.
Recent advancements in DNA testing have now confirmed that the remains are those of Laura O’Malley, a teenager from Queens, New York, who was reported missing over 50 years ago. The circumstances surrounding O’Malley’s arrival in California remain unknown, as does the cause of her death.
O’Malley’s disappearance followed a disagreement with her stepfather. Despite the passage of time, her siblings, two sisters and a brother, never ceased their search for her. They circulated her picture across Manhattan, believing she might have sought refuge there.
The cold case was reopened in 2019, and additional forensic testing, including carbon dating, was conducted. The results suggested that the deceased was likely born in the 1960s and died between 1977 and 1984.
In 2022, advanced genetic testing was employed to identify potential family members. This led to the confirmation that the remains were indeed those of the long-missing New York teenager.
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office expressed deep gratitude for the opportunity to provide long-awaited answers to Laura’s family. The circumstances surrounding O’Malley’s death are still under investigation.