SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — Genetic genealogy has led to a break in a nearly two decade old case in Sacramento County.
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies were able to identify a 2004 homicide victim as Shannon Vielguth, born in 1969, through genetic genealogy.
The sheriff's office launched the initial investigation back in 2008 when human remains were found in the area of Tyler Island and Georgianna Slough.
Over the next three days, authorities processed the scene and exhumed the body. The coroner ultimately classified the case as a homicide and said the victim was likely killed back in the fall of 2004.
Deputies have been trying over 13 years to identify Vielguth through missing person reports, photos of clothing and jewelry that were found, and a composite drawing of what the victim looked like. A facial reconstruction was also released, but the victim remained unidentified until now.
The break came after investigators started a Genetic Genealogy Investigation and identified her with the DNA of a close family member.
Authorities described her as transient during the six months before she was killed. She had stayed in Missouri, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Colorado, Nevada and California. she was also known to use the last names Judkins, Hutchings and Joyce.
Deputies said she was most likely in Reno, Nevada and Sacramento in October 2004, which coincides with the time she was likely killed.
Anyone with information on her killing, or where she was during this time, can call the sheriff's office at 916-874-5057 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at (916) 443-HELP.
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