Remains of a woman who disappeared three decades ago identified
AUBURN, Calif. (CNN, KYMA/KECY) - A cold case three decades old has finally begun to heat up as the remains of a woman who disappeared on Halloween night 1989 have been identified.
35 years snce remains were found off an embankment on Yankee Jims Road in Colfax, a family is ready to grieve their long-lost loved one.
"There's closure that we thought we might never have. And for me, it may not sound like it here, but it's like my first time in 35 years to be able to begin to grieve," said Dale Abrams, who is referring to his sister, Wendy Abrams Nishikai.
Nishikai went missing on October 31, 1989. Since then, Abrams says the family actively searched for HER for years.
The case was solved by Placer County's Cold Case Investigations Team, which reopened the case and made a significant discovery last year through forensic genealogy.
"We have been in contact with family members. Some of those family members were able to provide us DNA samples to help us confidently confirm that the remains are those of Wendy's," said Elise Soviar, Public Information Officer (PIO) for the Placer County Sheriff's Office (PCSO).
"This is a challenging time and it's sort of brought up for me that there's a lot I blocked out about my childhood because of losing her. And, just in a period of beginning with the recognition that she is dead," Abrams expressed.
While progress has been made, not all ends have been tied.
"We've identified these remains, but now we would like to figure out who's responsible for her death," Soviar shared.
As the case moves forward, Nishikai's family is planning to visit the place where their loved one is buried and honor her memory.
"Really amazing and sweet to be able to begin to remember her and begin to have those tears. They literally had no place back then. It just wasn't in the vocabulary, and we can have a memorial now," Abrams stated.
