Regional
- Details
- Written by: Humboldt County Sheriff's Office
HUMBOLDT COUNTY, Calif. — Authorities in Humboldt County said this week that DNA analysis has led to the identification of skeletal remains from a 38-year-old cold case.
The remains belong to Kay Josephine Medin, whose husband, Nickolas Medin, reported her missing on Aug. 3, 1987, to the Trinity County Sheriff's Office.
Nickolas Medin reported he had left on a business trip and when he returned home his wife was gone.
The Medin property was searched, and friends and family were contacted. Her doctor was contacted, who reported she had no serious medical issues.
Kay Medin was employed as a teacher at the Hyampom School. Her boss was contacted and reported she had been in good spirits. Her purse and personal property were found at the residence.
The Trinity County Sheriff’s Office listed her disappearance as suspicious.
On November 25, 1987, the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office received a package in the US mail. The package contained skeletal remains and an anonymous letter. The letter gave directions leading to more human remains at a location near Ammon Ridge Road in Eastern Humboldt County.
Humboldt County Sheriff’s detectives responded to the location given in the letter and discovered additional human remains. These remains were later identified as Kay Medin using dental records.
A death certificate was issued for Kay Medin in 1988, and she remained listed as a missing person as there was not a complete body recovery.
On Feb. 16, 1993, the Fortuna Police Department contacted the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office to report that a man had found a partial human skull on the beach near Trinidad Head. The man later turned the remains into the Fortuna Police Department.
A DNA sample was obtained from the skull and entered into both the California Missing Person DNA Database and the National Unidentified Person DNA index. The DNA profile was searched against profiles from both missing persons and other human remains in the Combined DNA Index System. No match was ever made.
In 2024, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office received Community Project Funding from Congressman Jared Huffman’s Office. The funding was to be used to clear up a backlog of unidentified human remains cases. The sheriff’s office partnered with private lab Othram Inc.
A DNA extract from the remains was sent to Othram. Othram scientists used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the unknown remains. Once the profile was built, Othram’s in-house genealogy team used forensic genetic genealogy to produce investigative leads.
In September 2024, the sheriff’s office received a report from Othram indicating the skull may be that of Kay Medin.
The report included genetic relatives, including a possible daughter. Investigators were able to locate the daughter and obtained a DNA sample from her. The California Department of Justice later compared the two DNA samples and confirmed the skull belonged to Kay Medin. Nickolas Medin died in August 2018.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office thanked Othram, Congressman Jared Huffman and the California Department of Justice DNA lab for assisting in solving this case.
The sheriff’s office is continuing to work with Othram on several other unidentified remains investigations utilizing the latest DNA technology. This case is still open and considered a cold homicide.
If you have any information regarding this case, please contact Investigator Mike Fridley at 707-441-3024.
- Details
- Written by: CALTRANS
On Monday, with the assistance of the California Highway Patrol, the Mendocino County Environmental Health Department, and Redwood Empire Hazmat Incident Response, 19 barrels containing hazardous waste were removed from an embankment south of Leggett near the Empire Rest Area.
The cost of the cleanup and disposal of the materials is estimated at $30,000.
“Luckily, we've avoided any major environmental hazards thus far,” said Caltrans District 1 Hazardous Materials Manager Danny Figueiredo. “At the cleanup site on Monday, the materials were only 10 feet away from dropping over a cliff with a drop of about 50 to 75 feet right into the creek. The creek has fresh running water, with fish, and that would have been disastrous.”
The string of incidents began in November with illegal dumping occurring twice in Hopland, again last month in Laytonville near the Shamrock Ranch, and most recently south of Leggett.
“The evidence collected indicates that the materials found at all four sites originated from the Bay Area, possibly from an old construction or roof insulation company in Livermore,” Figueiredo said.
He emphasized that the expense of each cleanup is substantial.
If anyone has information or has seen any suspicious activity regarding the dumping of barrels of commercial hazardous waste along U.S. 101 in Mendocino County, please contact the CHP at 707-932-6100.
- Details
- Written by: CALTRANS
GLENN COUNTY, Calif. – Caltrans is alerting motorists of construction activities on a safety improvement project at the intersection of State Route 32 and County Road P in Orland.
The project includes the installation of a new traffic signal to improve safety and reduce the number of collisions at this location.
This week marks the start of onsite work, with crews performing potholing operations to locate underground utilities. Current work is taking place within the shoulder areas and is not expected to significantly impact traffic flow.
This $6.1 million safety project will enhance motorist safety at the intersection and reduce the frequency of collisions.
Motorists are advised to slow down, watch for construction crews and equipment traveling in and out of the work zone, and expect intermittent delays.
Caltrans District 3 is responsible for maintaining and operating 4,385 lane miles in 11 Sacramento Valley and Northern Sierra counties.
Caltrans reminds motorists to “Be Work Zone Alert” and slow in construction zones for the safety of travelers and crews performing these improvements.
The department will issue updates on X @CaltransDist3 and on Facebook at CaltransDistrict3. For real-time traffic information, click on Caltrans’ QuickMap or download the QuickMap app from the App Store or Google Play.
- Details
- Written by: Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office
On March 22, deputies were dispatched to the 1800 block of Low Gap Road in Ukiah regarding human remains that members of a local nonprofit group found while they were conducting trash cleanup in the area.
The agency said an autopsy was conducted on Monday. Medical records were obtained for a known missing person in the Ukiah area and used for comparison when conducting the autopsy.
The decedent was positively identified as Angel Murguia-Martinez, a 25-year-old male from Ukiah who was reported as a missing person to the Ukiah Police Department in February of 2024.
Following the identification of the remains, Murguia-Martinez’s next of kin were notified.
The official cause and manner of death will be determined by a forensic pathologist and released when all forensic examination reports and tests have been completed, the sheriff’s office said.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is requested to call the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office Dispatch Center at 707-463-4086 (option 1). Information can also be provided anonymously by calling the non-emergency tip line at 707-234-2100.
