Victim in 1974 cold case identified

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) - A cold case dating back to more than 50 years has taken a major step forward.

Investigators have identified 19-year-old Rebecca Jean McMahan, whose body was found partially buried in the desert near Desert Hot Springs in 1974.

McMahan, who was also known as Becky McMahan and Becky Solis, was reported missing in July 1973 after she was last seen in Bell Gardens.

Investigators reopened the case in 2024, using new DNA technology and forensic genealogy.

A DNA match to a relative helped confirm McMahan's identity.

Investigators are now asking anyone with information about McMahan or her death to come forward. To learn more about this story, read the press release, written in English and Spanish, below.