A woman whose body was found near a cliffside in Tiburon in 1966 has been identified through advanced DNA testing, according to a nonprofit organization funding forensic research.
Project Justice said the Marin County Sheriff’s Office and the California Department of Justice partnered with scientists at the forensic laboratory Othram to produce a detailed genetic profile leading to the identification of Dorothy Jean Vaillancourt.
A hunter discovered the remains of an unidentified woman near Paradise Drive on Dec. 19, 1966, Project Justice said in a news release Thursday. She was estimated to be between 45 and 60 years old, 5 feet, 2 inches tall, weighing 105 pounds, with auburn hair.
In 2022, the sheriff’s office and Justice Department submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas, the laboratory said in an online posting.
Scientists developed what was described as an ultra-sensitive DNA profile that was used in a forensic search by Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team.
The search led to relatives of Vaillancourt, whose maiden name was Williams and was originally from Tasmania, the laboratory said.
“Without this technology and the funding that made it possible, Dorothy Jean Vaillancourt may have remained unidentified for decades,” Project Justice co-founder Justin Woo said in the news release. “This case highlights how forensic genetic genealogy is revolutionizing how we solve cold cases and bring answers to families.”
Vaillancourt had been presumed dead. The remains were buried in Mount Tamalpais Cemetery and Mortuary in San Rafael.
The testing was funded by Project Justice, described as a nonprofit organization partnering with law enforcement to solve cold cases.
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