Cold case homicide victim from 1980 identified, investigators seek public’s help
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – Investigators have identified a woman whose body was discovered off Highway 74 near Palm Desert in 1980.
The case dates back to Feb. 18, 1980, when motorists discovered the body of an unidentified female approximately 35 feet down a ravine off Highway 74, south of Cahuilla, in an unincorporated area near Palm Desert.
At the time, investigators described the victim as a white female between 20 and 25 years old, approximately 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing about 115 pounds, with brown hair.
According to the Riverside County District Attorney's Office, despite extensive efforts, including fingerprint and dental record comparisons, investigators were unable to identify the victim. A photograph taken during the autopsy was released to the public in hopes of generating leads, but no viable information was received, and the case eventually went cold.
The case was reviewed again in 2008 and 2009, but no new leads were developed.
In 2024, the Riverside County Coroner’s Office, in conjunction with Regional Cold Case Homicide Team (RCCHT), re-examined the case using advances in forensic science, including forensic investigative genetic genealogy. On December 4, 2024, the victim’s remains were exhumed. Bone and tissue samples were collected and sent to OTHRAM Labs, a private forensic laboratory, for DNA analysis.
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In January 2026, a DNA profile was developed and uploaded to a direct-to-consumer ancestry database. A genealogist assigned to RCCHT identified a potential match to a close relative in Alabama. Investigators contacted family members, who voluntarily provided DNA samples for comparison.
The family reported that their relative, Victoria Jean Hargrove, had gone missing on January 28, 1980, from her home in Opelika, Alabama, and had been reported missing to local law enforcement at that time.
On March 20, 2026, the California Department of Justice Crime Laboratory officially confirmed the identity of the victim as Victoria Jean Hargrove, age 29 at the time of her disappearance.
Investigators are now seeking additional information regarding Victoria Jean Hargrove’s disappearance in 1980, the circumstances surrounding her death, and what may have brought her to California.
The Riverside County Regional Cold Case Homicide Team is asking the community to contact investigators with any information about the homicide or the victim that could assist with this investigation.
Any leads, no matter how insignificant they may seem, can be reported to the Supervising Investigator Billy Hester (951)955-0070, or by emailing coldcaseunit@rivcoda.org.
