RIVERSIDE (CBSLA) — Investigators need the public’s help to identify a woman whose body was found near a pile of trash in the Beaumont area 26 years ago.
The body was found on Jan. 27, 1996, just a few hours after she was killed, about 20 feet south of the eastbound 60 Freeway, and about a mile and a half east of Gillman Springs Road, near some trash in a hilly area, according to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.
(credit: Riverside County District Attorney’s Office)
The unidentified woman was described as a Latina, possibly 30 to 45 years old, about 5-foot-1, and 130 pounds.
An autopsy conducted on the woman in 1996 found a surgical scar that was possibly from a c-section, so she is believed to be the mother of at least one child. An examination of her teeth showed they were well maintained and she had received quality dental care, and the clothes she was in were clean and had been well maintained.
The motive for her murder was unlikely robbery, because she was left wearing several pieces of jewelry, including two gold rings, gold Jesus and Virgin Mary pendants, and another gold pendant in the shape of a rose.
Authorities have released a composite sketch of the women, images of her jewelry, and a video about her case in the hopes that she might be recognized. Anyone with information about the woman’s identity can contact the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department by calling (951) 955-2777 or submitting at tip at the department’s homicide tip form.