Jane Doe identified

A more than decade-old mystery in Calaveras County has been solved, with investigators identifying the woman whose remains were found in New Melones Reservoir.  The Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office says the remains were discovered beneath the Parrotts Ferry Bridge in October of 2015, after drought conditions lowered the reservoir.  Investigators believed at the time that the woman was likely the victim of a homicide.  Now, modern forensic technology has identified her as Anita Kathleen Ranker, born in 1969.  Investigators believe Ranker disappeared before the year 2000. She was never reported missing and was living in or around Murphys at the time of her death. The case was reopened in 2021 by the Calaveras County Cold Case Task Force.  After years of laboratory work, usable DNA was finally extracted in June. Investigative genetic genealogy then helped locate Ranker’s relatives, whose DNA samples confirmed her identity through private laboratory testing and the California Department of Justice.  The investigation into Ranker’s death remains active. Sheriff Rachelle Whiting says identifying the woman once known as “Parrotts Ferry Jane Doe” restores her name and brings answers to her family.