After nearly three decades, a cold case victim has been identified through advanced DNA technology as Alicia Ledezma Sanchez, the El Cajon Police confirmed. The mystery of the unidentified female's body, found on August 13, 1998, had been a long-standing, bleak chapter in the community's history. According to a social media post from the El Cajon Police, the body was discovered in heavy shrubbery in a ravine on the 1300 block of Avocado, El Cajon, with no identification to shed light on her identity.
DNA tests confirm the identity of homicide victim as Alicia Ledezma Sanchez (5/13/1968).
— El Cajon Police (@elcajonpolice) October 30, 2025
On 08/13/98 the body of a female was found in a ravine in the 1300 block of Avocado, El Cajon. This ravine was covered in heavy shrubbery. The female was partially decomposed and believed… pic.twitter.com/HZYuIqmNhp
In 2003, the case was revisited, and a forensic artist created a sculpture from the victim's skull to help identify her unsuccessfully. A DNA profile was established in 2008, but no matches were found at that time. It wasn't until a collaborative effort, which began in 2023, involving the El Cajon Police Department's Cold Case Unit, Othram Labs, and Parabon Labs, that new hope finally emerged to bring closure to the case.
The department's decision to seek aid publicly via social media in August 2025 marked a turning point. A potential family member reached out, leading to a DNA test with the decedent's son, which confirmed her identity as previously confirmed by the El Cajon Police. "A DNA test with the decedent’s son confirmed a familial match, providing identification 27 years later," the department detailed in their announcement.
