Investigators still trying to ID homicide victim from ’96 cold case
New information was released Friday in connection to a Riverside County cold case homicide investigation which has been ongoing for over 20 years.
Homicide investigators released a composite sketch in hopes that someone may finally recognize the victim. Authorities said the woman’s body was found on January 27, 1996 along Highway 60, about 1.5 miles east of Gilman Springs Road, in the ‘Badlands’.
Someone driving on Highway 60 spotted her body just before noon that day. Riverside County homicide investigators with the Banning Station were called and the investigation began, and still continues to this day.
Authorities said the woman was described as a well-groomed female, possibly of Hispanic, Native American or Asian-descent. She was 5-feet-tall, weighed about 130 pounds, had brown hair and brown eyes and she was about 20 to 30 years old.
According to the release, the victim was wearing a predominantly black with grey tweed checkered type blazer, purple sweater, blue ‘Original Honey Dip’-labeled jeans and white ‘KEDS’ shoes. She was also wearing two gold necklaces; one with a rose, a stem and two leaves, and the other had a religious medal with ‘Jesus’ on one side and ‘Mary’ on the other.
The victim had a small scar on her chin and a surgical scar on her right abdomen. The identity of the victim is still unknown although evidence indicates that she was possibly married and had possibly given birth in the past.
Authorities said someone may also recognize the two rings she was wearing when her body was discovered. She had a gold ring with two clear stones and a multi-colored gold band with a floral design and a gold wristwatch with a flower-shaped cover and multiple clear stones.
Anyone with any information regarding this crime or the identity of the victim is asked to contact Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Cold Case Investigator De La Torre at 951-955-1187.
