CA CA- Trinidad Harbor, Jane Doe, #UP55274, partial skull, found on the beach, Feb;1993, & skeletal remains, 1987, DNA- Kay Medin, teacher, 2025.

[dotr]

After 32 years, Humboldt Jane Doe (1993) is Identified

Humboldt County Sheriff's Office Teams with Othram to Identify a 1993 Jane Doe

dnasolves.com

"In February of 1993 the Fortuna Police Department contacted the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office to report the discovery of a woman’s partial human skull found on the beach near Trinidad Head, a rocky structure found in California’s Trinidad Harbor. The discovery was made by a man who turned the skeletal remains to the Fortuna Police Department. A traditional DNA profile was developed from the skull and entered into both the California Missing Person DNA Database and National Unidentified Person DNA Index. The DNA profile was also searched against profiles from both missing persons and other human remains in the Combined DNA Index System. No match to a known individual was ever made and details of the case were entered into NamUs as UP55274.''

'In 2024, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) received funding from U.S. Representative Jared Huffman, which was to be used to clear a backlog of unidentified human remains cases. Using these funds, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office submitted evidence to Othram’s laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas to determine if advanced DNA testing could help to identify the woman.''

Several months later, Othram provided HCSO with new leads, including the possible identity of the woman whose partial skull was found in 1993. Investigators used this report to launch a follow-up investigation and locate a potential relative of the woman. The California Department of Justice compared the potential relative’s DNA profile to the DNA profile developed from the skull, which confirmed that the skull belonged to Kay Josephine Medin, who was reported missing in August of 1987.

Nickolas Medin, who died in 2018, reported to the Trinity County Sheriff’s office in that he had left on a business trip and when he returned home, Kay was gone. Kay’s purse and personal property were found at the residence. The Medin property was searched, and friends and family were contacted. Kay, who had no serious medical issues, was employed as a teacher at the Hyampom School. Kay’s boss was contacted and reported that she had been in good spirits. The Trinity County Sheriff’s Office listed Kay’s disappearance as suspicious.

Several months later in November of 1987, the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) received a package in the US mail. The package contained skeletal remains and an anonymous letter. The letter gave directions leading to more human remains. The directions lead to a location near Ammon Ridge Road in Eastern Humboldt County. Humboldt County Sheriff’s Detectives responded to the location given in the letter and discovered additional human remains. These remains were later identified as belonging to Kay Medin through a comparison of dental records. While a death certificate was issued for Kay Medin in 1988, she remained listed as a missing person as there was not a complete body recovery.''

Unidentified Person / NamUs #UP55274

View NamUs unclaimed person case UCP55274 for -- -- missing from Trinidad, California. Date body found: Feb 16, 1993. NCMEC case number: --.

namus.nij.ojp.gov

 

[summergirl1]

It sounds like her husband did it..

 

[kforbes862]

It sounds like it. Part of her skull was found at Trinidad head and the rest of the remains were in eastern Humboldt County away from the coast? The rest of the sull must have been at the place the directions led to because it says that dental records were matched to her from the remains there.

 

[Auntie Cipation]

[Update] Skeletal Parts Found in Two Places in Humboldt County Decades Ago Identified as Missing Trinity County Teacher

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that partial human remains found years apart in two distant locations–Trinidad and Ammon Ridge–within the county belong to Kay Josephine Medin…

kymkemp.com

It's possible that the skull was washed downstream from the Ammon Ridge location and out to sea before eventually coming ashore at Trinidad Head.

 

[summergirl1]

Her husband had been working out of town for days..hmm. I wonder if he was faraway enough that was no chance he took a break from his work and returned unexpectedly. Of course, neighbors never mentioned seeing him, while they noticed she was gone.

It's odd she left all her stuff behind, including her purse. It doesn't mention if she had a car, I assume she did, and that that was left behind at the house, too. Did she have a habit of walking places where someone could have abducted her? Maybe just taking a walk where she wouldn't need her purse? Unless she just took cash or something if she was going somewhere? It doesn't sound like anything was amiss in her life, besides maybe her marriage. It doesn't say if her husband was ruled out as a suspect or if he was ever regarded as one.

 

[Auntie Cipation]

Do any of these reports or articles say where she and her husband lived, which town?

 

[summergirl1]

She disappeared from the Hyanpom area. I looked at the articles again, and her car was indeed left behind at the house, too. The neighbors said she hadn't been seen since around July 16. Her husband returned on July 31st and it was after his return that she was reported missing. I assume he had been gone since around July 16 or before? Maybe he murdered her before his business trip and didn't report her missing until after? That would be rather convenient as some time had passed.

It seems odd he would be out of contact with her for days even if she was alive after July 16th (neighbors wouldn't necessarily have precisely remembered when they last saw her as they had no reason to pay particular attention) and had been in more recent contact. When did he last have contact with her? Maybe they didn't keep in touch much if he was traveling faraway.

 

[dotr]

May 7 2025 by: Amy Larson rbbm.

https://www.wric.com/news/mysterious-human-skull-found-32-years-ago-on-california-beach-identified/

''The California Department of Justice compared the relative’s DNA profile to the DNA profile developed from the skull, which confirmed that the skull belonged to Kay Josephine Medin,” DNASolves.com, a website affiliated with Othram, Inc., wrote Monday.

Kay Medin also went by the name Kay Adams. She was reported missing in August 1987 after she vanished from her home in Trinity County.

Medin worked as a school teacher in Hyampom, and her boss said she was in good spirits the last time he saw her.''

''Kristen Mittelman, chief development officer for Othram Labs, said, “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.”

 

[Mountain Mama]

Am I the only person seeing traces of Zodiac or RD here? The mailing of human remains and a letter to police (Z) and separation of her skull from the rest of body remains, (RD) and location of Trinidad in early 1990s (RD).