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Remains of Missing 13-Year-Old Identified After 30 Years Using Genetic Genealogy

Laura O'Malley's family gets long-awaited answers as investigators continue probing her death and how she ended up in California.

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FILE: The Pajaro River. The remains of Laura O’Malley, which were found near the banks of the river in 1995, were recently identified.

Overview

  • Laura O'Malley, a 13-year-old from Queens, New York, went missing in 1975 after leaving home due to family conflicts.
  • Her skeletal remains were discovered in a Santa Cruz County riverbed in 1995 but went unidentified for decades.
  • Advanced forensic techniques, including genetic genealogy and carbon dating, were used to identify the remains as O'Malley's between 2022 and 2023.
  • Authorities announced the identification in March 2025, marking a breakthrough in the decades-old cold case.
  • Investigators are still working to determine how O'Malley arrived in California and the circumstances surrounding her death.