Overview
- Investigators confirmed late Tuesday, August 11, 2026, that the partially buried 1974 victim is 19-year-old Rebecca Jean McMahan.
- The case was reopened in 2024 and bone samples sent to Othram Labs produced a DNA profile that was uploaded to a consumer ancestry database for genealogical matching.
- A genealogist with the Riverside County Regional Cold Case Homicide Team found potential relatives and a family member’s DNA comparison, with final confirmation from the California DOJ’s Missing and Unidentified Persons Section.
- McMahan was reported missing July 3, 1973, after last being seen June 11, 1973; detectives described her height, hair and eye color and noted tattoos including “SS” on an ankle and a butterfly on her chest.
- The identification gives detectives new leads as the homicide remains unsolved and investigators ask anyone with information to contact Investigator Ebony Caviness at 951-955-0257 or coldcaseunit@rivcoda.org.