2/14/24

The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office has resolved a 25-year-old mystery thanks to advanced DNA technology.

In 1999, unidentified human remains were discovered near the Bumble Bee Road exit off I-17. Initially believed to be those of a man, the remains were sent to the county Medical Examiner’s Office, and fingerprints were obtained. Despite a thorough search of DPS and FBI records at the time, no match was found.

In 2018, YCSO Cold Case Investigations requested the FBI to conduct another fingerprint search, resulting in a match, this time to a woman. Cold Case investigators reached out to her family members, who consented to submit DNA for comparison. Subsequently, an exhumation order was secured for the remains, the DNA comparison was analyzed, and a positive identification was made of Judy Glascock of Ventura, California. Investigators suggest she was likely in her late 30s. The cause of death remains unknown, but no evidence of homicide or violence was found during the autopsy in 1999.

Sheriff David Rhodes said, “I commend our Cold Case Investigations unit for their tireless work and for bringing closure to this family.”