Skull buried with a mismatched torso in CA identified after decades, DNA experts say

Four decades ago, a part of a human skull was discovered on a California beach.

The woman’s skull, which was found in 1983 in Solano County just miles from the city of Benicia, was in close proximity to where a woman’s torso was discovered four years prior, Othram Inc., a forensic genetic genealogy company, said a July 20 news release.

Eventually, the remains of “Jane Doe #3-1983” and “Jane Doe #16-1979” were buried together at a cemetery in the city, Othram said.

Decades passed, and the women’s identities remained a mystery, according to Othram.

That is, until investigators got a possible lead into the identity of “Jane Doe #16-1979” in September 2020, and both the torso and skull were exhumed for DNA analysis, Othram said.

A month later, DNA testing confirmed the torso belonged to Dolores Wulff, who was killed in Woodland, Othram said.

The skull, however, was not a genetic match to Wulff, setting off a search into the skull’s identity, according to Othram.

After getting a DNA profile from the skull, it was entered into the Combined DNA Index System, Othram said. There were no matches.

Othram said the case was also added to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System.

With no further leads, the case went cold, Othram said.

Then, in 2022, the Benicia Police Department partnered with Othram to identify the skull, according to Othram.

Othram said it created a “comprehensive DNA profile” for the unknown woman and worked with police and the FBI to generate new leads using forensic genetic genealogy.

Genetic genealogy uses DNA testing coupled with “traditional genealogical methods” to create “family history profiles,” according to the Library of Congress. With genealogical DNA testing, researchers can determine if and how people are biologically related.

Benicia police contacted a potential family member who helped confirm the woman’s identity as Tomye Ross Smith, Othram said.

Ross Smith went missing in 1980, Benicia police said in a March 27 Facebook post.

She was believed to have lived in the Contra Costa County area at the time of her disappearance, Othram said.

“We are glad to be able to bring closure to a family of their family’s disappearance more than 40 years ago,” police said.

Foul play is not suspected in her death, according to police.

Benicia is about 60 miles southwest of Sacramento.

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