Woman’s skeleton exposed by California drought is finally identified decades later

A woman’s remains found during California’s drought more than a decade ago have finally been identified, and investigators now believe she may have been the victim of a decades-old homicide.

Anita Kathleen Ranker, who was born in Santa Clara County in 1969, was identified as the woman known for years only as “Parrotts Ferry Jane Doe,” the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday.

Her remains were found partially submerged beneath the Parrott’s Ferry Bridge on Oct. 9, 2015, after historically low drought-era water levels in the Stanislaus River exposed the grim discovery.

Investigators determined the remains belonged to an unidentified woman who was likely the victim of homicide — but despite extensive efforts, her name remained a mystery and the case eventually went cold.

Ranker was never reported missing, authorities said.

Investigators believe she disappeared before 2000 and was living in or around Murphys, Calif., at the time of her death.

A person of interest has also been identified, though authorities did not release further details.

The case was reopened after the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office formed its Cold Case Team in 2020, with investigators turning to increasingly sophisticated forensic technology in hopes of putting a name to the remains.

But extracting DNA proved particularly difficult because the remains had deteriorated after spending years underwater, authorities said.

Resolve Forensics in Utah spent more than three years making progress toward obtaining DNA suitable for forensic genetic genealogy before Astrea Forensics in California successfully extracted usable DNA in June 2026.

Genetic genealogy work by Identifiers International then led investigators to Ranker’s relatives, who voluntarily provided DNA samples.

Those samples ultimately confirmed her identity through both private laboratory testing and the California Department of Justice, according to the sheriff’s office.

The effort cost more than $50,000 and was funded entirely through tax-deductible donations to the Calaveras Cold Case Task Force, a nonprofit established in 2024 to help bankroll specialized DNA testing, genetic genealogy and other forensic work.

“Every unidentified person represents a family, friends, and a life story that deserves to be known,” Sheriff Rachelle Whiting said. “The identification of Parrotts Ferry Jane Doe is a testament to the dedication and perseverance of the Cold Case Task Force and the forensic partners who continued working toward the goal of restoring Anita Ranker’s name.”

Ranker’s identification is the latest reminder of how severe drought conditions can reveal long-hidden secrets across the West.

Years of plunging water levels at Lake Mead, which supplies water to Southern California and other Western states, exposed at least five sets of human remains — including one person found stuffed inside a metal barrel with a gunshot wound, in a suspected decades-old Las Vegas mob killing.

But while Ranker now has her name back, the mystery of how she died remains unsolved.

The investigation is active as task force members work to identify those responsible and bring accountability for her death, authorities said.

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