Woman Identified 21 Years After Florida Landscapers Discover Her Remains and Jewelry; Hunt for Killer Begins

Florida police are actively investigating a cold case from decades ago. 

The case has now been reopened thanks to forensic genetic genealogy, which identified the victim as a woman who had never been reported missing.

On December 29, 2003, landscape workers discovered human remains in a rural area of Christmas, Florida, within unincorporated Orange County. 

The Orange County Sheriff's Office reported the discovery but noted they don't believe the woman was killed at that location. 

They have not disclosed further details about her death.

Among the skeletal remains, several pieces of jewelry were found, including rings and bracelets. 

The authorities released photos of the jewelry and a composite sketch of the woman’s potential appearance to the public, but unfortunately, no useful tips were received.

The case remained unsolved until 2022, when the sheriff's department obtained a grant from the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. 

This funding allowed them to partner with Othram Labs, which utilized forensic genetic genealogy to analyze the remains and develop a DNA profile.

In 2023, a match for the DNA profile was identified. 

By March 2024, the Orange County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed the remains belonged to Holly Garcia.  

She was a 26-year-old wife and mother who resided on the east side of Orlando in 2002.

Garcia had never been reported missing. 

The police are now asking anyone who knew her to please come forward. 

They are also seeking information on her husband, Miguel Angel Garcia-Rivera, who is still missing

"We are grateful and relieved to have identified her, but we now face the challenge of uncovering what happened to her, starting over 20 years later," said Detective Chelsey Koepsell in a video discussing Garcia's identification.

 

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