Current:Home > FinanceIn 2011, a headless woman was found in a "posed" position in a California vineyard. She's finally been identified. -Infinite Edge Learning
In 2011, a headless woman was found in a "posed" position in a California vineyard. She's finally been identified.
View
Date:2025-04-15 05:16:56
A woman found decapitated in a California vineyard in 2011 in a gruesome crime scene that "haunted investigators" for over a decade has finally been identified with DNA testing, authorities have confirmed.
Ada Beth Kaplan, 64, of Canyon Country, California, has been identified as the woman who was discovered at a grape vineyard in Arvin on March 29, 2011, the Kern County Sheriff's Office said on Thursday. Kaplan's head and thumbs had been removed and her body had been drained of blood when she was found, according to the DNA Doe Project, which helped make the identification.
Former sheriff's spokesman Ray Pruitt, who worked on the case in 2011, told KGET-TV that it was a "creepy" crime scene.
"Why did they take the time to drain the blood from the body? The crime scene itself was very clean," Pruitt told the station. "Honestly it looked like somebody had taken a mannequin, removed the head of the mannequin and posed it on the dirt road."
A postmortem examination was conducted and the manner of death was homicide, the sheriff's office said. The coroner's office said efforts to identify her from missing persons records and fingerprints were unsuccessful.
Two different out-of-county missing persons cases were investigated, but they were ruled out by DNA. The coroner submitted specimens to the Department of Justice and a DNA profile was created, but there were no hits from the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), which operates databases of DNA profiles from convicted offenders, unsolved crime scene evidence and missing persons.
The woman was buried in Union Cemetery in Bakersfield after every lead had been exhausted.
"The gruesome scene haunted investigators, who worked diligently to identify the remains but ran out of leads," the DNA Doe Project said in a statement.
Finally, in July 2020, the coroner's office partnered with the DNA Doe Project, which used genetic genealogy techniques to begin building a family tree for the victim.
In July 2023, the group identified two potential family members who lived on the East Coast. They agreed to provide a DNA specimen for comparison and "Jane Doe 2011" was finally identified as Kaplan.
DNA matches to Kaplan's genetic profile were distant cousins with common surnames, and three of her grandparents were immigrants, so researchers had to scour Eastern European records to finally make the connection, the DNA Doe Project said.
"Our team worked long and hard for this identification," DNA Doe Project team leader Missy Koski said in a statement. "Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry is often complicated to unravel. When we brought in an expert in Jewish records and genealogy, that made a huge difference."
Kern County Sheriff detectives interviewed family members and determined that a missing person report was never filed for Kaplan. The suspect involved in her death remains unknown.
- In:
- Homicide
- Cold Case
- DNA
- California
Stephen Smith is a senior editor for CBSNews.com.
veryGood! (28142)
Related
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- Court upholds town bylaw banning anyone born in 21st century from buying tobacco products
- Biden releases 2025 budget proposal, laying out vision for second term
- NAACP urges student-athletes to reconsider Florida colleges after state eliminates DEI programs
- Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
- Kim Mulkey crossed line with comments on LSU, South Carolina players fighting
- Plane crash in remote central Oregon leaves ‘no survivors,’ authorities say
- New technology allows archaeologists to use particle physics to explore the past
- Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
- 'Despicable': 2 dogs collapse and die in Alaska's Iditarod race; PETA calls for shutdown
Ranking
- Meet the volunteers risking their lives to deliver Christmas gifts to children in Haiti
- Christian Wilkins, Raiders agree to terms on four-year, $110 million contract
- Nominee to Maryland elections board questioned after predecessor resigned amid Capitol riot charges
- Weezer to celebrate 30th anniversary of 'Blue Album' on concert tour with The Flaming Lips
- US appeals court rejects Nasdaq’s diversity rules for company boards
- These Lululemon Sneakers Are the Everyday Shoes You Need in Your Life
- Olympic Gymnast Nastia Liukin Reveals Her Advice to Team USA Before 2024 Paris Games
- Stock market today: Asian shares are mostly higher ahead of a US report on inflation
Recommendation
Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
Sperm whale beached on sandbar off coast of Venice, Florida has died, officials say
Weezer to celebrate 30th anniversary of 'Blue Album' on concert tour with The Flaming Lips
Mega Millions jackpot heats up to $735 million: When is the next lottery drawing?
'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
Cowboys star QB Dak Prescott sues woman over alleged $100 million extortion plot
What is the best protein powder? Here's what a dietitian says about the 'healthiest' kind.
Luca Nardi, ranked No. 123 in the world, knocks out No. 1 Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells