After 45 years, Jane Doe Identified as Thelma Gaston 

July 16, 2026 – Riverside County Sheriff's Office officials report that on November 28, 1981, a passerby gathering firewood in the mountainous area near Sugar Loaf Mountain and the Pinyon Crest community discovered a shallow grave containing the remains of a severely decomposed female. Due to the condition of the remains, investigators were unable to establish her identity despite extensive investigative efforts.

For more than 40 years, she remained unidentified.

In 2022, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Bureau received funding through the Missing and Unidentified Human Remains Grant, providing new opportunities to reexamine long-standing unidentified cases. Combined with significant advances in forensic science, this funding opened new avenues for identification.

In May 2026, investigators utilized investigative genetic genealogy, in conjunction with dental records, to positively identify the decedent.  After more than four decades, investigators with the Riverside Sheriff’s Coroner’s Bureau and the Riverside Cold Case Homicide Team have positively identified a female homicide victim as Thelma Gaston.  Ms. Gaston was the victim of a 1981 homicide that occurred in Los Angeles County. The Los Angeles Police Department originally investigated the case and identified the suspect, who falsely represented her disappearance. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office successfully prosecuted the case, and the suspect, Lawrence Remsen, was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.

The successful identification of Ms. Gaston was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the Riverside Sheriff’s Coroner’s Bureau, the Riverside Cold Case Homicide Team, and Othram Labs, Inc., a private forensic laboratory specializing in advanced forensic DNA testing. DNA recovered from the remains was analyzed using investigative genetic genealogy, ultimately leading to the restoration of Ms. Gaston’s identity.

The Riverside Sheriff’s Coroner’s Bureau extends its sincere appreciation to everyone whose dedication, expertise, and perseverance made this identification possible. Together, these efforts have ensured that Ms. Gaston has her name—and her story—returned to her.

For more information regarding the details of the homicide investigation, please contact Captain Scot Williams, Commanding Officer of Robbery Homicide Division at 213-486-6850.

Reporting Supervisor: Coroner Sergeant Nancy Rissi

File # 48135

Source: Riverside County Sheriff's Office