With funding from Project Justice, a nearly 20-year-old mystery in Yavapai County, Arizona, has become the nonprofit’s 50th cold case solve. In 2005, a man was hit and killed by a train along a remote stretch of tracks. With no way to identify the victim and despite investigators' efforts, he remained John Doe for two decades. In 2022, the Yavapai County Medical Examiner’s Office submitted evidence for advanced DNA testing. With funding provided by Project Justice, scientists at a leading forensic laboratory developed a DNA profile and used forensic genealogy to identify the man as Darrin Allen Morgan, a 31-year-old originally from Illinois.

Sheila Osborne’s name remained unknown for over three decades after her body was found in Sacramento, California, in 1991. Despite initial investigative efforts, her identity stayed a mystery, and she was only known as Sacramento Jane Doe. The case remained cold until 2024, when detectives submitted forensic evidence for reevaluation. With funding from Project Justice through the Roads to Justice (RTJ) initiative, advanced testing was carried out at Othram, a leading forensic lab. The new profile led to genealogical research identifying Sheila, who had recently moved to Sacramento from Tennessee. After 33 years, Sheila Osborne finally has her name back.

For 27 years, she was nameless—a woman found floating in Point Reyes, California, with no leads and no identity. The technology of the 1990s couldn't provide answers, and she became known as Sonoma County Jane Doe. In 2023, Project Justice saw an opportunity to change that and provided the funding to revisit the case using modern forensic methods. New testing revealed her name: Deborah Cordier. It’s another example of how science, persistence, and support from Project Justice all came together to provide answers.

For 60 years, no one knew the name of the woman found near the water in Tiburon, California, in 1961. She was only identified as Marin County Jane Doe, and her cause of death remained unknown. In 2022, the Marin County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with the California Department of Justice, revisited the case using advanced DNA testing. This effort was made possible through funding from Project Justice. The forensic profile led to relatives who helped verify her identity as Dorothy Jean Vaillancourt. Her name and memory are now restored after six decades of silence.

In 2022, a man’s body was discovered in a remote wooded area of Mississippi, badly decomposed and challenging to identify using conventional methods. Solving the case required advanced forensic tools and the funding to apply them. With financial support from Project Justice, Othram developed a comprehensive genetic profile that led the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office and Rankin County Coroner’s Office to his identification as Robert Dale Hawthorne. This breakthrough brings hope to others who are still waiting for answers.

Thanks to Project Justice funding, a decades-old mystery has been resolved, bringing a name to a previously unidentified John Doe. In 1998, human remains were found in Santa Rosa, California, but despite years of investigation, no one could identify the man. However, with the support from Project Justice via the Roads to Justice branch at Othram, a leading forensic laboratory, they were able to run advanced DNA testing and ultimately identify him as Robert Michael Ream. Now, after twenty-seven long years, his family finally has answers.

In August 2018, Jaymie Renee West went missing, leaving her loved ones desperate for answers. Around the same time, an unidentified woman was discovered in a pond in Stockton, California—but due to limited technology, no connection could be made. The case remained open until 2022, when the Stockton Police Department, the San Joaquin County Office of the Medical Examiner, and the California Department of Justice commissioned advanced DNA analysis, funded by Project Justice. The results finally enabled them to identify her as Jaymie, providing answers to her family. While her loss is still deeply felt by those who knew her, she can now be honored and remembered.

In May 1986, a fire broke out in an old railroad boxcar in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Two individuals were found deceased inside. One was quickly identified, while the other, known for decades as Hennepin County John Doe, was not. In 2023, Project Justice provided funding for advanced DNA sequencing and genealogical methods, which ultimately enabled the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office to identify the individual as James R. Wakkinen, born in 1947.

When 53-year-old Stephen Jason Rosa went missing in November 2023, his family feared for his safety due to a known medical condition. Several months later, human remains were discovered near a lake in Flowood, Mississippi, but there were no clear clues to determine the man’s identity. DNA evidence was analyzed with funding from Project Justice, resulting in a comprehensive genetic profile. This profile led to genealogical matches, confirming that the remains belonged to Stephen. His family was notified, bringing long-awaited answers to a painful chapter of their lives.

In 2017, a human skull was found near Index, Washington, in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. With no other remains or identifying information, the only thing detectives could determine was that the woman was between 50 and 70 years old, and she became known as Jane Doe. In 2023, with support from Project Justice, the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office partnered with a private forensic lab to analyze the DNA evidence. Genetic genealogy led to her identity: Kate Grey, a woman from California who had been missing for several years.

VEGAS JUSTICE LEAGUE -It took nearly three decades to identify who killed Melanie White, but thanks to crucial funding from Vegas Justice League, the mystery was finally solved. In 1994, the 23-year-old was found murdered near Lake Mead, just outside Las Vegas. Despite investigators' best efforts, her case went cold until 2010, when Vegas Justice League funding made advanced DNA testing possible. Working with Othram Labs, a leading forensic lab, investigators reexamined key evidence that linked the crime to Arthur Lavery, a local man who had died in 2021.

For over 40 years, the identity of the man found shot at a Sacramento softball field in 1980 remained a mystery. Investigators believed he was between 20 and 30 years old and released a forensic sketch depicting a man with dark hair and a goatee, hoping someone might recognize him, but no one came forward. The case went cold. Decades later, Project Justice funded advanced DNA testing using cutting-edge technology. This breakthrough finally gave investigators the needed answers: the man was 22-year-old William "Billy" Suttle, a young man from Manhattan.

She was only 25 when her family reported her missing, just two days before Christmas in 1988. Her body was discovered in Perris, California, but without a name or solid leads, she became a Jane Doe. For decades, the case remained unsolved. Then, in 2022, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office and the California Department of Justice reopened it and exhumed her remains. With funding from Project Justice, advanced forensic testing was conducted, resulting in a long-awaited breakthrough. After 36 years of heartbreak and uncertainty, she was finally identified as Jacqueline “Jackie” Danette Ebel.

Who was the mystery man found under the iconic Bixby Bridge in California? For 16 years, he was known as Monterey County John Doe. When investigators discovered his body in Big Sur, the only thing they could tell was that he was a male. Traditional DNA testing couldn’t solve the case, causing it to go cold. But the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office didn’t give up. In 2022, thanks to crucial funding from Project Justice through Roads to Justice (RTJ), detectives had the DNA retested at Othram, a leading forensic laboratory. This time, the DNA revealed a new story, finally identifying the remains as Daniel S. Pyles.

In 1982, a man's body was found along the Deer Park Fire Trail in Muir Woods National Monument, California, but no one knew who he was. For over 40 years, he was known only as the Marin County John Doe. Despite tireless efforts, the case stalled due to limited DNA testing methods. In 2022, innovative forensic tools revived the case. The California Department of Justice, with financial support from Project Justice, submitted the evidence for advanced DNA analysis. The technology traced his origins back to Sweden, ultimately identifying the man as Sigvard Swanson, who had immigrated to the United States in 1926. While the circumstances of his death remain unknown, his name—and his journey—have finally been honored.

A nearly 50-year-old mystery has finally been solved—thanks to funding from Project Justice and the power of advanced DNA technology. In 1979, skeletal remains were discovered in Lake County, California. Investigators estimated the woman was between 25 and 35 years old and probably died that same year. Then, in 2023, with support from Project Justice, the California Department of Justice and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office collaborated to submit forensic evidence to a state-of-the-art forensic lab. That’s when everything changed. Thanks to this breakthrough work, the woman finally reclaimed her name: Wanda Lee Brewer.

It took nearly 60 years and major advances in DNA technology to finally identify the woman once known only as Sonoma Jane Doe. In 1967, her body was discovered at the base of a cliff in Sonoma County, California. Although her death was classified as a homicide, investigators had little else to go on. Sadly, she was buried without anyone knowing her name. In 2009, her body was exhumed in hopes that new techniques might identify her, but science still wasn’t advanced enough. That changed in 2022, when the California Department of Justice and the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office teamed up with a private DNA lab. A new round of testing, funded by Project Justice, finally reopened the case. After nearly six decades, the woman once lost to history was identified as Lillian Marie Cardenas.

With support from Project Justice, a 44-year-old mystery has finally been solved. The teenage girl found murdered in a Rancho Cucamonga, California, vineyard in 1979 has now been identified as 17-year-old Karen Marie Heverly. For decades, there was no ID, no strong leads—just a forensic sketch and a cold trail. But in 2023, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Cold Case Homicide Team, working with the Coroner Division, gave it another try. With funding from Project Justice, they sent DNA to a top forensic lab specializing in advanced genetic genealogy. It succeeded. Karen was finally identified. She had left her home in Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania, just weeks before her life was tragically cut short.

In January 2023, an elderly man's body was found in San Mateo County, California. He had no ID, and investigators had few leads. Despite working with the California Department of Justice, traditional methods yielded no results. With financial support from Project Justice, authorities requested advanced DNA testing at a leading forensic lab. There, scientists created a comprehensive DNA profile, which was then used to identify potential relatives. This breakthrough confirmed his identity as Milton Anthony Steffens, born in 1937 in San Francisco. After a year of uncertainty, he finally has his name back.

A grim mystery that haunted Barrington Hills, Illinois, for over 40 years took a significant step forward thanks to the persistence of local investigators, financial backing from Project Justice, and advanced DNA technology. In 1979, a boy riding horseback in a remote area found partial remains. With so little evidence, authorities could not identify the body, and the case eventually went cold. However, in 2023, detectives at the Barrington Hills Police Department turned to a top forensic lab to reexamine the DNA evidence using advanced techniques funded by Project Justice. With this new technology, they were able to give 27-year-old Joseph A. Caliva his identity back.

For decades, she was only known as “Jane Doe.” But her real name was Patricia Ann Rose. Her loved ones called her Patti or Torrie, and they reported her missing after she vanished from Sacramento, California, in 1980 at the age of 20. Five years later, a skull was discovered near Applegate, California. Despite dental comparisons, forensic reviews, and even a public facial reconstruction, her identity remained a mystery, until 2022 when the California Department of Justice took a fresh look. With funding from Project Justice, they partnered with a private forensic lab specializing in advanced DNA testing and genetic genealogy. After decades of uncertainty, Patricia’s family finally had answers: the remains found near Applegate belonged to their missing daughter. Her name was Patricia Ann Rose.

For 25 years, Donald Raymond Loar’s loved ones had no answers. The 54-year-old man from Los Angeles was last seen in Bellflower in early 1998, disappearing without a trace. That same year, human remains were found in a remote area of San Juan Capistrano. At the time, investigators were unable to draw a connection, and the case went cold. In 2023, with renewed momentum, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the California Department of Justice submitted DNA for advanced testing. With financial support from Project Justice, the results delivered the breakthrough they needed, confirming that the remains belonged to Donald Raymond Loar.

Investigators faced a mystery when male skeletal remains were found near a gas station in Kansas City in October 2022. They could only determine that the man was between 18 and 29 years old, stood between 5'7" and 5'10", and had brown hair. Without any additional leads, the case came to a halt. Nearly a year later, a financial contribution from Project Justice via Roads to Justice helped move the investigation forward. The Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office submitted DNA to Othram, a forensic lab specializing in advanced testing. That breakthrough ultimately led to a match identifying 34-year-old Kevin Wayne Cockran, originally from Oakland.

Two women. Two states. One killer was identified nearly 50 years later. In 1975, 20-year-old Teree Becker was found raped and murdered in a field in Denver, Colorado. Sixteen years later and more than 700 miles away, 30-year-old Sheree Bridgewater was killed in her Las Vegas apartment. Both cases remained unsolved for decades, and no one suspected they might be connected. But detectives in both states preserved evidence and continued searching for answers. In 2003, DNA was extracted from Becker’s case, and in 2013, Las Vegas Metro Police submitted a similar profile from the Bridgewater homicide. Both crimes were ultimately linked to one man, Thomas Martin Elliott, a career criminal who had died by suicide in 1991. His body was exhumed in 2023 and, with support from Project Justice and the Vegas Justice League, advanced DNA testing confirmed the match, finally connecting the two cases and providing answers to two grieving families.

In 1975, 20-year-old Teree Becker was found raped and murdered in a field in Denver, Colorado. Sixteen years later and more than 700 miles away, 30-year-old Sheree Bridgewater was killed in her Las Vegas apartment. Both cases remained unsolved for decades, and no one suspected they might be connected. But detectives in both states preserved evidence and never stopped searching for answers. In 2003, DNA was extracted from Becker’s case, and in 2013, Las Vegas Metro Police submitted a similar profile from the Bridgewater homicide. Both crimes were ultimately linked to one man, Thomas Martin Elliott, a career criminal who had died by suicide in 1991. His body was exhumed in 2023 and, with support from Project Justice and the Vegas Justice League, advanced DNA testing confirmed the match, finally connecting the two cases and providing answers to two grieving families.

More than six years after a skull was found at a construction site in San Clemente, a woman once known only as “Jane Doe” has been identified through advanced DNA testing and funding from Project Justice. In June 2017, workers uncovered skeletal remains during an excavation. Investigators determined they belonged to a woman between 30 and 50, but her identity remained a mystery. In 2022, the Orange County Sheriff's Department and California DOJ submitted the case to a private forensic lab specializing in DNA and genealogy. With support from Project Justice, a comprehensive DNA profile was developed, leading investigators to potential relatives and, ultimately, to a match. Although her name remains confidential at her family’s request, she is no longer unknown.

This case goes back so far that the discovery was first reported by mail. In May 1968, someone sent a letter to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office after hearing that two teenagers had found a human skull while playing near Berry Summit, California. Additional remains were recovered and examined by the FBI and later the Smithsonian, which determined they belonged to a man between 45 and 60 years old. Without any leads he was buried without a name until 2010, when the remains were exhumed. DNA was submitted to national databases, but no matches were found. In 2022, with funding from Project Justice, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and California DOJ sent the evidence to a specialized forensic lab for advanced testing. Scientists built a detailed DNA profile that led to the identification of William Melvin Teller, solving a mystery that had lasted 55 years.

In October 1981, an employee at Vic’s Office Supply in San Diego discovered a woman's body outside the store—she was a homicide victim. She was estimated to be between 30 and 50 years old, stood 5'5" tall, and weighed just over 100 pounds. Known locally in Pacific Beach as “The Bag Lady,” she was often seen carrying her belongings in a paper bag, but no one knew her real name. In 2023, with funding from Project Justice, the San Diego District Attorney’s Office sent forensic evidence to a DNA laboratory for advanced testing. Researchers developed a comprehensive DNA profile that led to genealogical matches and confirmed her identity as Elaine Rose Armstrong, originally from Michigan.

Who was the woman buried beneath stones in a shallow grave near Reno, Nevada, and how did she end up there? Rock climbers made the chilling discovery in June 1997. Detectives believed she was 5’2, between thirty-five and forty-five years old, with brown hair. Despite clues from her clothing, jewelry, and a forensic sketch, her identity remained unknown for more than twenty years. The case was revisited in 2023 when the Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office reexamined the evidence using advanced DNA technology. The testing was made possible through financial support from Project Justice, a nonprofit that funds cold case investigations. This time, authorities had a name and identified the woman as 41-year-old Lorena Gayle Mosley.

Project Justice funding helped solve a nearly 50-year-old cold case tied to the California “Scorecard Killer,” restoring the name of 17-year-old Michael Ray Schlicht. In 1974, his body was found near a fire road in Aliso Viejo, but his identity remained unknown for decades. In 2022, with funding from Project Justice, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department worked with a forensic lab to build a DNA profile that led to living relatives. In 2023, he was confirmed as Michael Schlicht from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, an early victim of Randy Kraft. His family can now mark his grave for the first time.

In February 2002, when 16-year-old Hector Jose Garcia did not return home from a Mardi Gras trip to Galveston, Texas, his family reported him missing. A month later, the body of a young man—later identified as Hector—was found under the Spring Creek Bridge in Houston, killed by a gunshot wound to the chest. Investigators estimated the victim's age to be between 17 and 32. He had a distinctive tattoo and identifiable clothing, but no name. The case eventually went cold. Twenty-one years later, through funding by Project Justice to use new forensic DNA technology, the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences confirmed the identity as Hector Jose Garcia. The investigation into his murder remains ongoing.

After more than 30 years, a woman found dead in a Sacramento parking garage has finally been identified, thanks to support from Project Justice. In 1991, investigators found the body of a woman who appeared to be unhoused and used the names “Amanda Defore” and “Carol Houston.” Despite extensive efforts, they couldn’t determine who she was. By 2022, forensic technology had advanced significantly. In that year, the California Department of Justice partnered with a laboratory specializing in cutting-edge DNA sequencing. Funded by Project Justice, the new tests identified relatives who helped confirm Dorothy A. Sandusky's identity: a 56-year-old woman from Philadelphia. The case remains open as investigators work to understand what happened to Dorothy—and why.

She was found in a sleeping bag off Stagecoach Road, near Trinidad, California, dead from an apparent overdose. But who was this mystery woman? Investigators checked her fingerprints, reviewed her dental records, and added her to every missing persons database. This was 1980, and they still couldn’t identify her. Fast forward to 2022, when the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and the California Department of Justice reexamined the case with financial support from Project Justice. A forensic lab developed a DNA profile that revealed new leads. In 2023, the woman was identified as Denise Gail Cruz, who had last been seen by her family in 1979, solving the 43-year-old mystery.

Thanks to innovation, determination, and crucial funding, a gruesome discovery in 1988 was finally solved 35 years later. That year, investigators found a woman’s body wrapped in plastic and duct tape, sealed inside a suitcase, and abandoned in a dumpster in Jenkins County, Georgia. For over three decades, she was known only as "Jane Millen Doe." But she was never forgotten. In 2023, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation teamed up with a state-of-the-art forensic labratory to reopen the case using advanced DNA technology, with funding from Project Justice. Thanks to their efforts, authorities identified the woman as Chong Un Kim, a 26-year-old who had immigrated from Korea in 1981. After 35 years, her family finally learns what happened—and her name has been restored.

A 42-year-old cold case was finally solved through the combined power of modern forensic science, private funding, and determination, thanks to Project Justice and Othram. In October 1982, a hiker found a man’s body at Natural Bridges State Park in Santa Cruz County, California, but despite sketches and multiple leads, investigators couldn't identify him. In 2022, the California DOJ and Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office sent evidence to Othram for advanced DNA testing, funded by Project Justice through Roads to Justice. Those efforts led to a breakthrough: the man was identified as Rodney Alan Rumsey, a 28-year-old who had been reported missing decades earlier.

It took nearly a decade and two separate discoveries to identify Joshua Daniel Fritz. In December 2014, skeletal remains were found near a creek in Santa Rosa, California, followed by additional bones in April 2021 near an eddy where the water met a manmade culvert. For years, the person’s identity remained unknown. A breakthrough came in 2023 when a leading forensic laboratory, funded by Project Justice through Roads to Justice, used advanced DNA technology to develop new leads. Those efforts resulted in the identification of 28-year-old Joshua Daniel Fritz, who had been missing since November 2011; however, the circumstances surrounding his disappearance in that quiet creek bed remain a mystery.

Some mysteries are disturbing not only in what’s found but also in what can never be fully explained. In 2014, a woman who went by the name Francesca Linda Jacobs was found dead from starvation in her Monterey, California home. Under her kitchen table, police discovered a sealed box containing the decomposed remains of another woman, later believed to be her mother. With no clear identities or explanation for what had happened, the case became known as the “Mom-in-the-Box” and went cold. In 2022, with funding from Project Justice, advanced DNA testing by a leading forensic laboratory finally confirmed that the deceased were Linda Rae Jacobs, born in 1942, and her mother, Ida Florence Jacobs. The bond between them was said to be unusually close, but why Linda changed her identity or kept her mother hidden remains an unsettling mystery.

For more than twenty years, traditional DNA testing was not advanced enough to identify the body of a woman found along a highway near I-40, west of McLean, Texas. The discovery was made in August 1999, when the Texas Rangers, a division of the Texas Department of Public Safety, were called. Despite fingerprinting, DNA analysis, composite sketches, and searches in missing persons databases, no match could be found, and the case eventually went cold. In 2022, new hope emerged. With support from Project Justice, the Texas Rangers submitted forensic evidence to a laboratory specializing in advanced DNA analysis. Using cutting-edge technology, scientists developed a detailed DNA profile that led to genealogical leads, ultimately resulting in the identification of Brenda Sue Guessler, believed to have lived in or near Phoenix, Arizona.

A mother’s worst nightmare: her child vanishes, and decades pass without answers. In 1991, Patricia Clark reported her young son, Derrick Burton, missing. That same year, investigators in San Bernardino County, California, responded to a chilling discovery—a child’s skull found in a remote area. An autopsy revealed that the remains belonged to a boy between 4 and 8 years old, but no cause of death could be determined. The case went cold without a way to connect the remains to a specific child. More than 30 years later, new hope emerged when Project Justice funded advanced DNA analysis at a state-of-the-art forensic lab where scientists created a genealogical profile that ultimately traced investigators back to Patricia Clark. Confirmatory testing confirmed that the remains were indeed her son, Derrick. He was only a few years old when he disappeared. Investigators continue their efforts to find out what happened to him—and why.

For over 50 years, bones scorched by wildfire in a remote stretch of San Bernardino County remained nameless. In November 1970, a hiker discovered skeletal remains near Little Sandy Creek, burned by a recent brush fire, with no apparent signs of trauma. With no clues, the man’s identity remained a mystery for decades. That changed in 2022, when Project Justice funded advanced forensic testing that led scientists to develop a genealogical profile pointing the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office and the California Department of Justice to living relatives. A year later, the remains were identified as James Hollowell Harvey, who was 57 years old at the time of his death.

After 25 years, the man once known as Humboldt County John Doe finally has a name. In 1998, a father and son found a decomposed body in the Eel River near Loleta, California. With no ID or leads, the case went cold. In 2022, with funding from Project Justice via Roads to Justice, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and California DOJ partnered with Othram, a leading forensic laboratory, to build a genealogical profile. It led to a sister in Missouri, who confirmed the man was Jeffery Todd Sydow, last seen in the mid-1990s and never reported missing. Thanks to science, persistence, and private financial support, Jeffery is no longer unknown.

Vegas Justice League has supported the resolution of multiple cold cases in Las Vegas, including this case, which brought long-awaited answers in two separate murders. With help from innovative forensic technology and funding from Vegas Justice League, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department was finally able to identify the man responsible for killing Lori Ann Perera in 1992 and Pearl Ingram in 1994. Although DNA linked the two murders in 2012, the suspect’s identity remained unknown for another decade. In 2022, advanced forensic genealogy identified Eddie George Snowden Jr. as the perpetrator, a man who had lived near both crime scenes and died in 2017. Though no arrest could be made, investigators confirmed he was responsible for sexually assaulting, beating, and strangling both women, bringing answers after more than 30 years.

Vegas Justice League has supported the resolution of multiple cold cases in Las Vegas, including this case, which brought long-awaited answers in two separate murders. With help from innovative forensic technology and funding from Vegas Justice League, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department was finally able to identify the man responsible for killing Lori Ann Perera in 1992 and Pearl Ingram in 1994. Although DNA linked the two murders back in 2012, the suspect’s identity remained unknown for another decade. In 2022, advanced forensic genealogy identified Eddie George Snowden Jr. as the perpetrator—a man who had lived near both crime scenes and died in 2017. Though no arrest could be made, investigators confirmed he was responsible for sexually assaulting, beating, and strangling both women, bringing answers after more than 30 years.

A Virginia mystery that puzzled investigators for more than 30 years has finally been solved, thanks to funding from Project Justice. In 1990, a skull was found near Joshua Road in Stafford County, believed to belong to a male aged 15 to 18, but no identification was made, and the case went cold. In 2021, Detective Dave Wood worked with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and a forensic lab to revisit the case using advanced DNA technology. With funding from Project Justice, a detailed DNA profile led to the identification of Timothy Alan Mangum, a teen last seen in the early 1980s.

Justice in another cold case opened the door to solving hers. On New Year’s Eve in 1983, 22-year-old Diana Hanson disappeared in Las Vegas. Her body was discovered hours later near Spring Mountain Road. She had been sexually assaulted and murdered, but despite DNA evidence, the case went cold for nearly 40 years. That changed in 2021, when DNA from the 1979 murder of Kim Bryant was tested using advanced forensic techniques funded by Project Justice. The results identified Johnny Peterson as Kim’s killer. When investigators compared Peterson’s DNA to evidence from Diana’s case, they confirmed he was responsible for her murder as well. Though Peterson died in 1993, these identifications brought long-awaited answers to two families—and raised the possibility that he may be linked to additional unsolved crimes.

A DNA breakthrough exposed a violent serial offender. With funding from Vegas Justice League and advanced forensic testing, investigators identified Johnny Peterson as the man who abducted and murdered 16-year-old Kim Bryant in 1979. The case had gone cold for over 40 years, until DNA from the scene was reexamined in 2021, leading to a genealogical profile that pointed to Peterson, who died in 1993. That discovery prompted a review of other cold cases, revealing Peterson also murdered 22-year-old Diana Hanson in 1983.

Her case was solved because of a breakthrough in another cold case. For nearly 40 years, the 1986 murder of 24-year-old Nanette Vanderberg remained unsolved. Darren Roy Marchand was arrested at the time but released due to a lack of evidence. In 2021, multiple rounds of advanced DNA testing and forensic genealogy—funded by philanthropist Justin Woo—resulted in the identification of Marchand as the killer of 14-year-old Stephanie Isaacson, who was murdered in 1989. That same DNA profile was later linked to evidence in Nanette’s case, confirming he was responsible for both murders. Thanks to advanced science, persistent investigation, and private funding, two long-unresolved cases were finally linked, and two families received overdue answers.

Thanks to advanced forensic technology and funding from Project Justice, investigators identified the man responsible for the 1989 murder of 14-year-old Stephanie Isaacson—and, in the process, also solved the 1986 murder of 27-year-old Nanette Vanderberg. Stephanie was attacked and murdered on her way to school in Las Vegas. Her case went cold for more than three decades, until forensic scientists used just 120 picograms of DNA, the smallest sample in history, to create a genealogical profile. The results pointed to Darren Roy Marchand, who had died in 1995. Marchand had previously been arrested in Nanette Vanderberg’s murder, but her case was dismissed due to lack of evidence. The DNA match confirmed he was responsible for both crimes, bringing long-awaited answers to two families.