The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Cold Case Unit, utilizing advancements in genealogical science, has recently identified a name for a victim in a homicide case that has been unsolved since 1981. The case revolved around a dismembered torso found in a San Jose field, which has now been identified as belonging to Vivian Moss, who was 54 years old at the time of her death. With the victim's identity now known, authorities, along with Moss's surviving family, hope this breakthrough will be the key to uncovering her murderer. They urge the public to come forward with any information that could lead to solving this tragic mystery, with the DA's office having broadcast the case in an October 2023 video, as reported by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.
District Attorney Jeff Rosen expressed a sentiment of perseverance in a statement, per the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, "Vivian Moss was her name. My Office knows it. I know it. Her family knows it. And now our community knows it. One day soon, I hope we will know the depraved person who took her life and left her in a field, hoping she would be forgotten. If her murderer is still alive, they will know that we don't forget in Santa Clara County." Evidence, including two religious pendants found near the body, initially gave investigators scant clues as to her identity. After the body was found 44 years ago, where the VTA Berryessa Transit Center and BART Station parking structure now stand, it was only through the collaborative efforts of forensic genealogists at Parabon NanoLabs and the DA's team that Moss was identified.
Further information regarding Moss's life has been pieced together; she was a member of the Mt. Zion Spiritual Church, and family members hint that she had a close connection with the church's leader, Louis H. Narcisse, before he died in 1989. There are whispers that Moss perhaps worked at an elementary school in Oakland before her disappearance. The DA's office urges anyone with information about Moss or her murder to call (408) 792-2466 or email [email protected].
