Placer cold case murder: DNA identifies woman found in 1977 near Emigrant Gap
Advanced DNA technology has identified a woman found strangled to death almost half a century ago in an Emigrant Gap snowbank, and it may assist in her homicide investigation, according to Placer County authorities.
Melinda “Pip” Beardsley — born 1946 in Michigan — had been missing since the mid-1970s and was identified in February following a collaboration between the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, another law enforcement agency and two exterior organizations, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
On Dec. 17, 1977, sheriff’s deputies uncovered Beardsley’s body in a snowbank feet from an Interstate 80 embankment, just west of the intersection with Highway 20, according to Bee reporting at the time. She was naked and did not have any personal items.
The Sheriff’s Office attempted twice to find a fingerprint match, first distributing 300 copies of her fingerprints to U.S. and Canadian law enforcement agencies, to no avail.
In 2011, the Sheriff’s Office exhumed her remains in the hopes that new forensic techniques could help identify her. Investigators obtained a suitable partial DNA sample in 2018 and worked to create a DNA profile sufficient for genetic genealogy testing by last year.
In 2025, detectives from the Sheriff’s Office began working with Moxxy Forensic Investigations, a nonprofit based in Texas that assists law enforcement with missing persons research and genetic genealogy. The nonprofit was also collaborating with the Doe Network, a volunteer organization assisting in missing persons and unidentified remains cases, which had been contacted by Beardsley’s family.
Moxxy’s missing persons task force identified a possible connection between Beardsley and the woman found in Placer County and confirmed Beardsley was reported missing to the Reno Police Department. It appeared she had been living in Nevada prior to her disappearance 48 years ago.
Beardsley’s family provided a sample for DNA comparison, which confirmed her identity last month.
The Sheriff’s Office, in its announcement of Beardsley’s identity on Tuesday, said it would now focusing its efforts on investigating her killing.
“Advancements in DNA technology are making it possible to solve cases that once seemed impossible,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release, adding that the agency, “remains committed to identifying unknown victims and bringing answers to families.”
The agency asked anyone with information about the case to contact its tip line at 530-889-7830.
This story was originally published March 18, 2026 at 1:59 PM.
