Mystery Human Skull on California Beach Identified After 32 Years

Newsweek

08-05-2025

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A team of forensic genetic genealogists have solved a mystery, identifying a human skull found on a California beach 32 years ago as a woman named Kay Medin.
The Context
The U.S. has a significant number of cold cases; the FBI's Uniform Crime Report data, which was analyzed by the Murder Accountability Project, found that nearly 346,000 homicides and non-negligent manslaughters had remained unsolved from 1965 to 2023.
Trinidad Head and Little Trinidad Head with the rocky shore of Trinidad Bay. Trinidad, California
Trinidad Head and Little Trinidad Head with the rocky shore of Trinidad Bay. Trinidad, California
Hal Beral / VWPics via AP Images
The FBI's National Crime Information Center (NCIC) reported in 2023 that there were 563,389 missing person records entered into the system, and by the end of that year, 96,955 cases remained active. The majority of cases were juveniles under the age of 21, which accounted for an approximate 39 percent of the records.
What To Know
In 2024 the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office in California submitted evidence to the Ortham laboratory in Texas with the hopes that the woman could be identified through advanced DNA testing.
Newsweek has reached out to the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office via email for comment outside of regular working hours.
The laboratory then developed a DNA extract from the skeletal evidence. They used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequence in order to build a DNA profile for the woman, and were able to identify the woman as Kay Medin, who also went by the name Kay Adams.
Medin was reported missing on August 3, 1987 after she vanished from her home in Trinity County. She had worked as a schoolteacher in Hyampon.
According to the Humboldt County Sheriff's office, Medin had been reported missing by her husband, Nikolas Medin, who died in 2018. He reported at the time that he had left on a business trip and returned home to find his wife gone.
Medin's death is an unsolved homicide case. Her disappearance was listed as suspicious at the time.
DNASolves, which is affiliated with the Ortham laboratory, shared a post about Medin having been identified on their website.
This post stated that the majority of Medin's remains had been found 45 miles from her home, and her skull had been found nearly 100 miles away, adding that it is unclear how this happened.
The post also said that in November of 1987, the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office had received a package in the mail which contained skeletal remains and an anonymous letter. This gave directions leading to human remains which were later identified as being Kay Medin.
A death certificate was issued for Medin in 1988 when her skull was still missing. A partial skull was discovered five years later in February of 1993 on a beach near Trinidad Head.
What People Are Saying
Kristen Mittelman, chief development officer for Othram labs in a statement shared with media: "We're proud to be able to help investigators give these victims their names back, and hopefully move the investigation forward toward resolution. That's the most important thing."
What's Next
While Medin has been identified, the case remains unsolved. Anyone with information that could help the case is encouraged to call the Humboldt Sheriff's Office.