Human remains found partially submerged below a Northern California bridge have been identified as a woman who hasn’t been seen in more than two decades.
The remains discovered beneath the Parrotts Ferry Bridge in Calaveras County in 2015 belong to Anita Kathleen Ranker, cold case investigators have confirmed.
Ranker, who was born in Santa Clara County, would’ve been 57 years old today, according to the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office.
“After more than a decade of remaining nameless, this identification represents a significant breakthrough in a case that had gone cold,” the sheriff’s office said in a Monday, September 14, news release.
In 2015, Ranker’s remains became partially visible “due to the historically low, drought-era level of the Stanislaus River beneath the Parrotts Ferry Bridge,” authorities said.
Although there was significant “degradation” of the remains as a result of being underwater for years, authorities could confirm they belonged to a woman, who they suspected was likely killed, according to the sheriff’s office.
Before Ranker was positively identified, investigators referred to her as “Parrotts Ferry Jane Doe.”
Investigators believe Ranker vanished sometime before 2000, and had been living in or near Murphys ahead of her death.
“She was never reported missing, and a person of interest has been identified,” the sheriff’s office said.
After the case went cold following the initial discovery of Ranker’s remains, authorities revisited the investigation in 2021, when forensic science had become more advanced.
“Over the ensuing years, the remains were sent to numerous laboratories, each using cutting-edge technology to attempt to extract DNA suitable for Forensic Genetic Genealogy,” the sheriff’s office said.
A breakthrough in the investigation came this past June, when a California-based forensic laboratory extracted usable DNA from the remains. The DNA was then linked to Ranker’s family members.
Her relatives subsequently gave DNA samples, which resulted in investigators confirming Ranker’s identity, according to the sheriff’s office.
Authorities continue to investigate Anita’s death and have identified a person of interest, the agency said. The person’s identity wasn’t specified by law enforcement.
“Every unidentified person represents a family, friends, and a life story that deserves to be known,” Calaveras County Sheriff Rachelle Whiting said in a statement.
The sheriff’s office is encouraging anyone with information related to Ranker’s case to contact the agency at (209) 754-6500 or submit anonymous tips by calling the office’s tip line at (209) 754-6030.
Calaveras County is about an 80-mile drive southeast from Sacramento.
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