Woman murdered in California in 1986 is identified through genetic genealogy

A woman who was murdered and callously dumped near campsites on the Pacific Crest Trail in California nearly 40 years ago has finally been identified by police using DNA testing.

Claudette Jean Zebolsky Powers’ decaying remains were found near the Los Coyotes Indian Reservation in Warner Springs on February 16, 1986.

Genetic genealogy, which is the practice of entering a DNA profile into a public database to find relatives, was used to identify Powers – the results sparking renewed efforts to find her killer.

Powers was born in Michigan in January 1962 and lived with her husband in Washington state in the early 1980s before she left him and moved to San Diego in 1983 or 1984, her family said.

She was last seen in September 1984 after her father died. Police say its believed she’d been living in the San Diego area until around February 1986.

Claudette Jean Zebolsky Powers (pictured) was identified by San Diego Sheriff’s office 37 years after her body was found by a campsite near California’s Pacific Crest Trail

While Powers’ has been identified, her killer remains at large, according to the San Diego Sheriff’s office who has asked anyone with information to come forward.

Sergeant Tim Chantler told KFMB-TV that detectives are furiously working to put together a timeline of Powers’ life before her death to try and zero-in on a suspect.

‘It took 37 years to identify who she was, to solve that mystery,’ Chantler said.

‘Now we have to reconstruct her whole life. Where she lived, where she worked, and who she knew? Was she dating anybody? Who were her friends? That’s where we’re starting, a brand-new mystery now, as opposed to the one we just solved.’

Powers’ younger sister Laura Freese has also pleaded for anyone with information to come forward convinced ‘somebody knows something.’

‘It’s been really hard on our family,’ Freese said.

‘Somebody knows what happened. A neighbor, anybody that knew her knows what happened. If you are still alive and you knew my sister and you knew what happened to her, please come forward. Please, we need closure.’

Powers’ decaying remains were found near the Los Coyotes Indian Reservation in Warner Springs on Feb 16, 1986

Powers was found next to a second body who is yet to be identified. It remains unclear if the cases are connected

DNA was first used to help investigate a criminal case in 1986 and since then, hundreds of cases have been solved thanks to genealogy research advances.

In this case, a DNA profile obtained from a sample of Powers’ hair was compared to available profiles on commercial websites. 

Detectives were able to use this – as well as census records and other public information – to build family trees and ‘track down an individual believed to be a relative of Claudette.’

Powers’ younger sister Laura Freese has also pleaded for anyone with information to come forward convinced ‘somebody knows something’

Genetic genealogy, which is the practice of entering a DNA profile into a public database to find relatives, has emerged as a powerful tool for identifying suspects who leave DNA behind at a crime scene

The method allowed detectives to eventually connect investigators with Powers’ daughters, sister, and mother.

DNA samples collected returned a positive match and helped identify Powers.

Police said that this is the seventh time the department’s homicide unit has used investigative genetic genealogy to solve such a case.

Powers was found next to a second body who is yet to be identified. It remains unclear if the cases are connected.