Register entry · Case file · Unidentified victim · Desert Center CA
Desert Center Jane Doe.
MUS-2026-0489
Archive card
MUS-2026-0489
Unidentified victim
- Incident
- 1994
- Indexed
- Oct 26, 2026, by MuseUnsolved
- Agency
- Riverside County District Attorney's Office
- Location
- Desert Center CA
Public record. Index entry.
Index entry. Case details compiled from public reporting; our researchers have not verified this file yet.
Summary
What happened, as the record shows.
A Southeast Asian woman, 25 to 35 years old, was found in open desert on Eagle Mountain Road near Interstate 10 in Desert Center, California, on October 20, 1994. She wore a black long sleeved shirt and a yellow metal neck chain with a ship's wheel and anchor medallion. Fingerprint and dental record comparisons failed to identify her, and investigators developed no new leads. In 2023 the Riverside County District Attorney's Regional Cold Case Homicide Team re-examined the case, collected bone samples, and sent them to Othram Labs for DNA analysis. In 2024 Parabon Nanolabs created a photo rendition and ancestry snapshot finding Southeast Asian descent, brown eyes, black hair, and light brown complexion. On May 26, 2026, the DA cold case team publicly asked for help confirming her identity. She remains unidentified.
Timeline
What the record establishes.
- 1994
On October 20, 1994, Southern California Edison employees discover the body in open desert on Eagle Mountain Road, about 0.6 miles north of Interstate 10 in Desert Center.
- 1994
Fingerprint and dental record comparisons fail to identify the victim, and investigators develop no new leads.
- 2023
The Regional Cold Case Homicide Team re-examines the case, collects bone samples, and sends them to Othram Labs for DNA analysis.
- 2024
Parabon Nanolabs creates a photo rendition and ancestry snapshot finding Southeast Asian descent, brown eyes, black hair, and light brown complexion.
- 2026
On May 26, 2026, the DA cold case team publicly asks for help confirming the victim's identity.
Key people
The people in the file.
Southeast Asian woman, 25 to 35 years old. Found October 20, 1994, in open desert on Eagle Mountain Road near Interstate 10 in Desert Center, wearing a ship's wheel and anchor medallion.
Contact details change over time; confirm the current assignee before publishing.
Investigating agency
Where tips go.
This case is with the Riverside County District Attorney's Office. If you know something, say something to them. For public-record leads for our researchers, use the tip line on any open file.
Coverage
Coverage and further reading.
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