Human remains found in a California river have been identified as Laura O'Malley, a 13-year-old girl who vanished from New York in 1975. Initially discovered nearly 30 years ago, advanced forensic testing confirmed her identity only recently. O'Malley was reported missing at a young age, and her family searched for her for decades. The investigation was revitalized in 2019, revealing new insights into her sad fate, but details about her death and how she ended up in California remain uncertain. Authorities express relief at providing answers to her long-suffering family.
The young teen was identified when the cold case was reopened in 2019, with additional forensic testing - including carbon dating - showing the decedent died between 1977 and 1984.
It is not known when, or under what circumstances, Laura O'Malley arrived in California; it was also unclear how she is thought to have died.
Since she went missing, O'Malley's siblings continued searching for her for years, circulating her picture across Manhattan, where they initially assumed she might have fled to.
The sheriff's office said it was 'deeply grateful' to have finally 'provided long-awaited answers to Laura's family'.
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