Human remains found in 1986 near Dry Creek in Roseville have been identified as Marjorie Linehan, who disappeared on October 1, 1982, at age 49. The partial skull had remained unknown for almost 40 years until DNA testing confirmed its identity, as reported by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office.
The Placer County Cold Case Team worked with the California Department of Justice to determine the remains’ identity. This resolution brings answers to a decades-old case and shows the role of modern forensic methods, as stated by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office.
Linehan, who was reported missing in Sacramento County, was recently identified after part of her skull was recovered, but her cause of death is still unknown. According to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office on their Facebook page, "this long-awaited identification offers them peace." The Placer County Cold Case Foundation, a nonprofit that supports DNA testing and forensic investigations, helped with the case. More information is available at placercoldcase.org.
