Overview
- The Ventura County Sheriff's Office disclosed Tuesday that DNA work identified the remains as Joseph Patrick Reardon and asked anyone with even small details to contact the Cold Case Unit.
- Crews found the partial remains on Aug. 30, 1993, during a dump site cleanup off Beardsley Road near Wright Road outside Camarillo, and the medical examiner determined they were a lower leg bone from a male estimated to be 13 to 18 years old.
- Investigators sent evidence to Othram Labs in March 2025 for advanced testing that built a DNA profile, and the Cold Case Unit then used genealogical leads and rapid DNA checks with relatives to confirm Reardon's identity, born June 17, 1970.
- Records show Reardon used the name Joe Gilbreth as a freshman at Channel Islands High in early 1985, lived that year in a now‑closed Oxnard group home, and later attended Hughson High in 1986, yet detectives still lack contacts who knew him.
- Authorities say the identification opens new leads in a decades‑old case, but key facts about Reardon's movements and how he died remain unknown, underscoring the role of public tips in reconstructing his timeline.