Hikers stumbled upon remains in 1990, Nevada cops say. They’ve just been identified
A little more than three decades ago, a pair of hikers stumbled upon skeletal remains, Nevada officials said.
Despite years of investigation, Nevada State Police said it could not identify the remains found in 1990 within an area known as Hilltop Canyon, about 13 miles east of Battle Mountain in Lander County, according to a news release.
Now, thanks to advances in DNA technology, the remains have been identified as Judy Manzaneras of Salt Lake City, Utah, who was last seen when she was 19 years old and was reported missing in 1989, police said.
In June, police said they partnered with multiple agencies to see if the woman could be identified using “advanced forensic DNA testing,” and the remains were later sent to Othram Inc., a forensic genealogy company.
Othram’s team “used forensic genetic genealogy” to create a “comprehensive DNA profile” for the woman, police said.
Genetic genealogy uses DNA testing coupled with “traditional genealogical methods” to create “family history profiles,” according to the Library of Congress. With genealogical DNA testing, researchers can determine if and how people are biologically related.
After further investigation, the woman was identified as Manzaneras, police said. Her death was ruled a homicide.
Police ask anyone with information about the case to call them at 775-684-7412.
This story was originally published April 10, 2023 at 2:24 PM with the headline "Hikers stumbled upon remains in 1990, Nevada cops say. They’ve just been identified."
