On Jan. 22, 1991, human remains were found in a wash area at the base of a hill in the area west of Avenue 62 and Madison Street in Thermal. Only bones were found and appeared to have been in the desert for a lengthy amount of time. The subsequent investigation by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department unfortunately produced no leads and the case, believed to be a suspicious death, went cold. Following a forensic genetic genealogy investigation , the remains have beenidentified as Kathryn Coffey of Baldwin Park.

On March 30, 1993, the body of Sherri Herrera, 30, a mother of four from Tulare, Calif., was found on the eastbound Hayfield Road onramp to I-10 in Desert Center. She was last seen alive just a few days before her body was found. Now, nearly 30 years later, a retired truck driver has been charged with her murder. 

On Jan. 27, 1996, that the body of a woman was found near some trash in a hilly area near Gillman Springs Road and Highway 60 in the Beaumont area. She has still not been identified. The Riverside County Regional Cold Case Homicide Team is asking for the public’s help in finding out who the victim is by releasing photos of some of the jewelry found on the body and a sketch of the woman.

Remains found off the Ortega Highway in 1986 have been identified as missing Tustin woman