Particle.news
Download on the App Store
3 ARTICLES
·
3h ago

Redding Remains From 2013 Identified as Napa Woman Velma Louise Silva Lee

Advanced DNA genealogy produced a match to the long-unidentified decedent using a genome profile followed by a confirmatory swab from her son.

Image
Velma Louise Silva Lee, a woman whose family had never reported her missing, was identified through her remains by Shasta County Sheriff’s officials. The agency worked with — a forensic lab in Texas — to identify her through her relatives.

Overview

  • A cleaning crew discovered a skull on March 11, 2013 near the Anderson-Cottonwood Irrigation District canal in Redding, and forensic anthropologists later recovered additional remains and personal effects.
  • Initial submissions to CODIS and entries in NamUs produced no matches for years, prompting the Shasta County coroner to partner with Othram in 2023.
  • Othram built a forensic genome profile and searched FamilyTreeDNA, which pointed investigators to relatives in July 2025 including a half-sister and a niece who provided names of Lee’s children.
  • Lee’s son then gave an oral swab for direct comparison, Othram issued a formal identification report on September 15, and authorities publicly confirmed the identification in early October.
  • Officials notified the family, who are arranging a burial, and law enforcement has not said whether a cause of death has been determined; the family had previously declared Lee legally deceased after no proof of life after 2003–2004.