Alabama woman identified as victim of Riverside County cold case homicide from 1980; search continues for killer
An Alabama woman has been identified as the victim of a 1980 cold case homicide that happened in Riverside County, as investigators continue searching for her killer.
On Feb. 18, 1980, a woman's body was discovered 35 feet down a ravine off Highway 74 in an unincorporated part of Riverside County near Palm Desert, a news release from the Riverside County District Attorney's Office said.
"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," the release said. "Despite extensive efforts, including fingerprint and dental record comparisons, investigators were unable to identify the victim."
A photo of the woman, which was taken during the autopsy, was released to the public at the time in hopes of generating leads, but investigators never received viable information from the public and the case went cold, according to the DA's release.
Despite being reviewed again in 2008 and 2009, investigators never discovered new leads.
In 2024, investigators working in conjunction with the Riverside County Coroner's Office and the Regional Cold Case Homicide Team re-examined the case with new advances in forensic science, including genetic genealogy. Their investigation led to the victim's remains being exhumed.
"Bone and tissue samples were collected and sent to OTHRAM Labs, a private forensic laboratory, for DNA analysis," the release said.
In January, a DNA profile was successfully developed and uploaded to a direct-to-consumer ancestry database while a genealogist assigned to the Riverside Cold Case Homicide Team was able to positively identify a potential match to a close relative in Alabama. Family members of the potential victim were contacted and they voluntarily provided DNA samples for comparison. They also told investigators that their relative, Victoria Jean Hargrove, had gone missing on Jan. 28, 1980 from her Opelika, Alabama, home and reported missing to local law enforcement.
Hargrove, aged 29 at the time of her disappearance, was confirmed as the victim of the incident by the California Department of Justice Crime Laboratory on March 20.
"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 release said.
Anyone who knows more about the victim or homicide was urged to contact the Riverside County Regional Cold Case Homicide Team at (951) 955-0070 or coldcaseunit@rivcoda.org.
