On June 29, 2001 at approximately 4:54 a.m., the Sacramento Fire Department responded to a possible structure fire in the area of 14^th Avenue and Power Inn Road.  Firefighters located a dumpster fire on 18^th Avenue west of Power Inn Road.  After extinguishing the fire, firefighters found the remains of a deceased female. 

Throughout the years, this victim has remained unidentified.  The preliminary autopsy report indicated that the victim was female and possibly white or light-skinned of another race.  She is believed to have been between her mid to late teens and mid-twenties (15-25 years of age) at the time of her death.  She is estimated to be between 5’0” and 5’5” tall.  The anthropological exam indicated she likely suffered a broken nose in the past.  She had no cavities or fillings, though her teeth had plastic sealants, and most likely was preparing for future orthodontic work.  Four of her premolars had been previously removed to provide space for newly erupting teeth. 

On October 12, 2017, Sacramento Police Department investigators sought the services of Parabon NanoLabs (Parabon), a DNA technology company in Virginia, specializing in DNA phenotyping – the process of predicting physical appearance and ancestry from unidentified DNA evidence.  Using DNA evidence from this investigation, Parabon produced trait predictions for the Sacramento victim.  Individual predictions were made for the subject’s ancestry, eye color, skin color, freckling, and face shape.  By combining these attributes of appearance, a Snapshot composite was produced depicting what the victim may have looked like at 25 years old.  New trait predictions from Parabon suggest the victim was African American or mixed race, rather than White.

The Sacramento Police Department is seeking the public’s help with identifying this female victim.  Believing that the victim was potentially in her teen’s when she was murdered, the Sacramento Police Department is also sharing this information in conjunction with National Missing Children’s Day on Friday, May 25, 2018 and the Missing in California Event scheduled for Saturday, June 9, 2018, at Sacramento State University. 

This press release is a summary of the facts known at this time as the incident is being actively investigated. The information contained in this press release is subject to change. Additional details will be released as they become available.

The Sacramento Police Department encourages any witnesses with information regarding this homicide to contact the dispatch center at (916)264-5471 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at (916) 443-HELP (4357) or submit an anonymous tip using the free “P3 Tips” smartphone app.  Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward up to $1,000.