07/29/2026
Kern County Sheriff's Office Identifies 15 Year Old Fresno Girl as Victim of Cold Case, Detectives Seek Suspect(s)
In June 1978, the remains of an unidentified female were discovered in Kern County in an Arvin vineyard, near South Wheeler Ridge Road. Without an identity for the victim, the homicide case went cold and the victim was known only as Jane Doe. Over the next 48 years, Kern County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) detectives and coroner personnel continued efforts to develop investigative leads as technology and resources advanced. Despite the efforts of KCSO, consultants, and forensic specialists, her identity remained unknown.
When the unidentified remains were recovered in 1978, DNA technology did not exist. Identification depended primarily on fingerprints, and dental records. If those methods were unsuccessful, many cases simply could not move forward, despite the best efforts of investigators. In this case, fingerprint identification was not successful, and although dental X-rays were obtained, no known antemortem dental records existed for comparison, halting the investigation.
Over the past several decades, forensic science has changed dramatically. Advances in DNA analysis, fingerprint technology, dental comparisons, and more recently, Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy (FIGG), have given KCSO the ability to identify individuals in ways that were unimaginable nearly 50 years ago.
In 2007, Coroner personnel discovered DNA samples had not been collected in 1978, leading to the exhumation of the remains to obtain a DNA sample. The specimen was submitted to the California Department of Justice, but without any available family reference DNA in existing databases, no match could be made, and traditional investigative avenues were exhausted. The case remained open until the later development of genetic genealogy provided a new means of identification.
Today (July 28, 2026), we are pleased to announce these efforts have resulted in Jane Doe being positively identified as 15 year old Michelle Louise Collier, of Fresno, CA. Although the investigation continues to identify a suspect, we can provide long-awaited answers to a family that has lived for.