Nearly 50 years after a teenage homicide victim was discovered in a shallow grave beneath a California vineyard, authorities say they now know her name.
The Kern County Sheriff’s Office announced on July 28 that the victim was 15-year-old Michelle “Shelley” Louise Collier, whose remains were identified with the help of forensic investigative genetic genealogy, known as FIGG.
“Although the investigation continues,” the sheriff’s office said in the statement, “we can provide long-awaited answers to a family that has lived for decades without knowing what happened to their loved one.”
What Happened to Missing Teen Michelle Collier?
Kern County Sheriff’s homicide detective Ashley Thompson said during a press conference that Collier vanished from her home in Fresno in February 1978.
About four months after she disappeared, authorities found the remains of an unidentified female buried in a shallow grave in a vineyard in Arvin, near South Wheeler Ridge Road.
For decades, the victim was known only as Jane Doe. Investigators determined she had been killed in a homicide.
At the time her body was found, the sheriff’s office said DNA technology was not available. Investigators instead turned to fingerprints and dental records, but those methods failed to reveal who she was.
“The case was revisited numerous times. Despite the efforts of detectives and forensic specialists, her identity remained unknown,” Thompson said. “Without her identity, there were no leads, no suspects and no arrests.”
Michelle Collier Identified Through Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy
In 2007, the coroner discovered that DNA samples had not been collected in 1978 and exhumed the teen’s remains to recover a DNA sample.
“The specimen was submitted to the California Department of Justice,” the sheriff’s office noted, “but without any available family reference DNA in existing databases, no match could be made, and traditional investigative avenues were exhausted.”
They finally got the break in the case after joining forces with the private genetic genealogy firm Othram to use forensic investigative genetic genealogy.
“FIGG is a powerful investigative tool that combines advanced DNA analysis with traditional genealogical research,” Thompson said. “It has helped generate new leads in cases that had long reached investigative dead ends and opened doors that were not available decades ago.”
Through FIGG, they were able to positively identify the remains as Collier.
“Although today’s announcement marks a significant milestone, our work is not over,” Thompson said. “Identifying Michelle is an important step, but the circumstances surrounding her death remains unknown.”
She added that having the victim’s identity will now give law enforcement authorities the ability to narrow down potential suspects in the case.
“You Will Be Found” Michelle Collier’s Sister Tells Her Killer
Collier’s older sister Cynthia Dunbar thanked investigators and the coroner’s office for their work to identify the family’s loved one.
“She disappeared 48 years ago, and it was only recently that we knew where she was,” Dunbar said at the press conference. “At least with this information, my family has some closure.”
She said the family now can “bring our sister home and have her proper burial.”
Dunbar also had a message for her sister’s killer.
“To the person who killed our sister: The shock of finding out we lost our sister to a homicide is overwhelming to our entire family, especially our 85-year-old mother Maria,” Dunbar said. “Your cowardice act affected our entire family, but make no mistake: Law enforcement will find you and hold you accountable. Whether you are already incarcerated or dead, you will be found. May God bless your soul, because you are going to hell.”
She concluded with an emotional message to her sister.
“You didn’t deserve to die this way, Shelley,” she said. “Barely 15 years old, still a child, with your whole life ahead of you. I’m sorry that we didn’t protect you.”
Anyone with information on Collier’s case is urged to contact the Kern County Sheriff’s Office at (661) 861-3110 or Kern Secret Witness at (661) 322-4040.
