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2d ago

Santa Clara DA Names 1981 Dismemberment Victim Vivian Moss

After confirming her identity through forensic genealogy, investigators are urging anyone with information to help identify her killer

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The area where Vivian Moss’ body was found in July 1981. Back then, it was an empty field in San Jose; now, it is part of the Berryessa BART station.
An AI generated image of Vivian Moss based on family photos.
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Overview

  • A dismembered torso discovered on July 11, 1981 in a San Jose field near today’s Berryessa Transit Center was accompanied only by two religious pendants.
  • The death was ruled a homicide from multiple stab wounds and dismemberment, but the victim remained unidentified for over 40 years.
  • In 2023 the DA’s Cold Case Unit partnered with Parabon NanoLabs and last year matched genealogical DNA from the scene to Moss’s granddaughter to confirm her identity.
  • Vivian Moss was a 54-year-old Oakland grandmother who attended Mt. Zion Spiritual Church and may have worked at an elementary school before her 1981 disappearance.
  • District Attorney Jeff Rosen and Deputy DA Rob Baker have asked anyone with leads to call (408) 792-2466 or email [email protected].