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In a significant breakthrough, authorities in California through DNA identified the victim of a nearly four-decade-old murder case using genetic genealogy.

The victim’s body was discovered near campsites in San Diego County in February 1986. Thanks to advances in DNA technology, she has been identified as Claudette Jean Zebolsky Powers. The woman was 24 years old at the time of her death.

Now, police investigators are determined to uncover the truth behind her murder. And potentially connect it to the unidentified male victim found in the same vicinity and time period when she was discovered.

The bodies were discovered at the Los Coyotes Indian Reservation in Warner Springs, an unincorporated northern San Diego County community. The San Diego County Sheriff's Office, responsible for the investigation, has not yet disclosed the cause of death for Powers or the male victim. 

Authorities have long sought to identify Powers, and after years of reviewing missing person reports and seeking public assistance, the breakthrough finally came.

DNA identified the victim

Using DNA from a hair sample, detectives matched it with the DNA of an unidentified relative. And tracked it through the family tree to confirm Powers' identity. 

Investigators extensively utilized publicly searchable genealogy websites and cross-referenced census records and obituaries to trace possible relatives. Their diligent research ultimately led them to Powers' daughters, sister, and mother. 

The emotional impact of the identification was profound, since Powers' daughters, who were toddlers when she disappeared believed that their mother had abandoned them.

This case marks the seventh instance in which the San Diego County Sheriff's Office has successfully used investigative genetic genealogy to identify remains in unsolved cases. 

The department emphasizes that this DNA tracking method is only employed when all other avenues have been exhausted. Detectives reach out to relatives for assistance, ensuring transparency about the process and the case they are investigating.

A cold case heats up

Claudette Powers, originally from Michigan, relocated to San Diego County in 1983 or 1984. Authorities believe she may have lived in the San Diego or Escondido area, specifically around Fig Street in Escondido, where she might have worked at a nearby restaurant.

The sheriff's office has appealed to the public for any information that could help solve the case. Authorities aim to reconstruct Powers' life in the '80s. And are digging into her employment, place of residence, friends, and potential romantic partners.