Remains of Sonoma County Jane, John Doe identified after more than 25 years
Sonoma County remains identified through DNA
The remains of a man and woman that were discovered at the turn of the 21st century in Sonoma County have now been publicly identified by the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office.
SANTA ROSA, Calif. - The remains of a man and woman that were discovered more than 25 years ago in Sonoma County have now been publicly identified by the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff officials identified the remains of Sonoma County Jane and John Doe as Deborah Mitchell Cordier and Robert Michael Ream, respectively.
Finding Jane Doe
Deborah Mitchell Cordier. Her remains were found by the Point Reyes Peninsula and were recently identified through DNA. Photo: Sonoma Sheriff
The backstory:
In January 1998, the remains of a woman were discovered floating in the Pacific Ocean some miles off the Point Reyes Peninsula. There, the body was found severely decomposed, complicating the person's identity.
It wasn't until 2023 that the remains had their DNA sequenced, and she was eventually identified as Cordier, the sheriff's office said Wednesday.
In 2023, the sheriff's office said it partnered with the California Department of Justice and Othram Labs, a Texas-based laboratory that works with law enforcement.
It wasn't until later that the DOJ's DNA lab criminalists had a breakthrough when a DNA sample from Cordier's family was submitted to the Richmond Police Department.
Sheriff officials were also able to confirm her identity through fingerprint comparison.
What we don't know:
It's unclear how Cordier died. Officials also said it's unknown how long Cordier was in the water before she was found.
She was born in 1952 and would have been in her 40s around the time her body was found.
Discovering John Doe
A month after finding Cordier's remains, in February 1998, skeletal remains were found near Hearn Avenue and US 101 in Santa Rosa, sheriff officials said.
Forensic analysis determined the remains were of a white man around 50 years old. However, not much was known about him, and he was named Sonoma County John Doe.
Othram Labs said the remains likely belonged to a man who was possibly transient or homeless.
Robert Michael Ream. His remains were found in Santa Rosa and were recently identified through DNA. Photo: Sonoma Sheriff
In 2022, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office partnered with Othram and the CA DOJ to identify the remains.
He was recently identified as 44-year-old Robert Michael Ream, and authorities said Ream is believed to have died just three days after his birthday.
His cause of death was not shared.
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The Source: Sonoma County Sheriff's Office, Othram Labs