COLD CASE

DNA Testing Finally Identifies Decapitated Woman Found in Vineyard 13 Years Ago

The 64-year-old woman was found without a head or thumbs in a California vineyard.

DNA testing has finally identified the body of a woman who was left decapitated in a California vineyard some 13 years ago. The 64-year-old woman, identified as Ada Beth Kaplan, was found without a head or thumbs in a vineyard in Arvin, south of Bakersfield, on March 29, 2011. Police could not identify the woman at the time, and she was ultimately laid to rest as Jane Doe. However, in 2020, the DNA Doe Project started working on the case and identified two family members living on the East Coast in July 2023. Police later determined that a missing person report was never filed for Kaplan, who lived in Canyon Country, California. “The location and suspect involved in her death remains unknown,” a press release stated.