The Calaveras County Sheriff's Office identified the remains of Brenda Sue O'Connor, who had been missing for years. The identification was made through the work of the Calaveras Cold Case Task Force and the use of modern DNA analysis, as reported by the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office.
After the remains were first found in a remote area linked to a serial killing investigation, they were kept in a crypt with over a thousand other unidentified remains. "The exhumation was conducted by the Cold Case Task Force, who believed DNA technology had advanced far enough to facilitate the possibility of identification," as mentioned by the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office. The process involved the California Department of Justice and private laboratories, which used Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy to identify the remains and connect them to O'Connor's family.
The Calaveras Cold Case Task Force has identified the remains of Brenda Sue O’Connor after more than three years of investigation, according to the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office on their Facebook page. Task Force members worked on the case while continuing their regular duties. “These additional investigative efforts have finally provided answers to the family of Brenda O’Connor, and the pending return of Brenda’s remains will signify the first reunification of Brenda with her family,” the Sheriff’s Office stated. The investigation was funded by community donations to the Calaveras Cold Case Task Force, a tax-exempt non-profit organization. More information and ways to contribute are available on the organization’s website.
