Overview
- The Kern County Sheriff's Office announced Tuesday that the remains found in June 1978 in an Arvin vineyard were those of 15-year-old Michelle Louise Collier.
- Investigators exhumed the remains in 2007 to collect DNA, partnered with Texas lab Othram to build a comprehensive DNA profile, and confirmed the family match in October 2025 after relatives uploaded consumer genealogy results.
- A 1978 autopsy ruled the death a homicide but could not determine a precise cause, and the lack of an identity left the case cold for decades.
- Collier’s remains were returned to her family in April 2026 and relatives spoke at a press conference expressing grief and warning the person responsible that law enforcement will find them.
- The sheriff’s office says the homicide investigation is now active with no suspects publicly identified and is asking anyone with information to contact detectives; the case underscores the rising use of forensic genetic genealogy to resolve long-unsolved identifications.