Investigators ID remains of missing woman found under California bridge 11 years ago

After more than a decade of forensic analysis, Northern California investigators said they have been able to identify the remains of "Parrotts Ferry Jane Doe" that were found under a bridge under suspicious circumstances.

The Calaveras County Sheriff's Office said Monday that Anita Kathleen Ranker, who was born in 1969, was the person who was found under the Parrotts Ferry Bridge in October 2015.

Despite the breakthrough, investigators still have many unanswered questions about her death, which they allege was likely a homicide, and are asking the public's help for more clues.

Ranker disappeared before the year 2000; however, she was never reported missing, the sheriff's office said. Investigators believed she was living in or around Murphys, California, roughly 63 miles southeast of Sacramento.

Her remains were found during the historically low, drought-era level of the Stanislaus River. At the time of her body's discovery, investigators determined Ranker's death was likely a homicide, but the remains were in a degraded state that made it extremely difficult to identify, the sheriff's office said.

In 2020, a cold case task force was formed, and a year later investigators reopened her case. The sheriff's office worked with forensic labs to help identify the woman.

In June, a California forensic lab was able to extract DNA from the remains and a forensic investigative genetic genealogy group was able to identify the DNA with the aid of Ranker's relatives, who provided a DNA reference sample, the sheriff's office said.

"Every unidentified person represents a family, friends, and a life story that deserves to be known," Calaveras County Sheriff Rachelle Whiting said in a statement. "The identification of Parrotts Ferry Jane Doe is a testament to the dedication and perseverance of the Cold Case Task Force and the forensic partners who continued working toward the goal of restoring Anita Ranker's name."

Investigators said they identified a person of interest but did not provide more details.

Authorities asked anyone with information about the case to contact the Calaveras County Sheriff at (209) 754-6500.