Emigrant Gap Jane Doe identified after 50 years

The Placer County Sheriff's Office reported Wednesday the remains of a woman found at Emigrant Gap 50 years ago have been identified, in partnership with Moxxy Forensic Investigations and the Reno Police Department. The remains, identified as Melinda "Pip" Beardsley, a mother who had been missing since the mid-1970s, were found in a snowbank in the Emigrant Gap area on Dec. 17, 1977. The Sheriff's Office reported investigators later determined she had been strangled to death. In 1978, 300 copies of the victim's fingerprints and identifying information were distributed to law enforcement agencies across the United States and Canada and the FBI, but no matches were found. The Sheriff's Office confirmed the fingerprints were submitted to the FBI again in 2006, but no matches were received. In 2011, the Sheriff's Office exhumed the remains with the hope that new forensic techniques could assist in identifying the victim. According to the Sheriff's Office, investigators obtained a partial DNA profile from the remains that was suitable for direct comparison in 2018. Additional DNA work was completed in 2019, but the available profile was not suitable for investigative genetic genealogy. In 2024, the Sheriff's Office Cold Case Investigations team submitted the remains for further DNA testing and genealogical analysis. The Sheriff's Office confirmed initial testing determined the remains were too degraded to develop a profile. According to the Sheriff's Office, additional portions of the remains were tested, producing a DNA profile with sufficient information for investigative genetic genealogy. The Sheriff's Office also began working in coordination with Moxxy Forensic Investigations, a nonprofit organization that assists law enforcement with investigative genetic genealogy and missing persons research, after Melinda Beardsley's family contacted The Doe Network, a volunteer organization that works to bring closure to missing and unidentified person cases. Moxxy's Missing Persons Task Force conducted extensive research into Beardsley's life and the circumstances surrounding her disappearance. According to the Sheriff's Office, investigators identified a potential connection between Beardsley and the Emigrant Gap Jane Doe. Moxxy also worked with Reno Police to ensure Beardsley was formally reported missing, allowing investigators to move forward with additional investigation and DNA comparison with the Sheriff's Office. Through the efforts, Beardsley's family was located and a DNA comparison was conducted. The Sheriff's Office confirmed testing confirmed the Emigrant Gap Jane Doe was Beardsley in February 2026. According to the Sheriff's Office, Beardsley was born in 1946 in Michigan and was known to family and friends by the nickname "Pip." She was believed to have been living in the Nevada area during the mid-1970s. "This identification hopefully provides long-awaited answers to Beardsley's family, but the work is not done," the Sheriff's Office said. "The Placer County Sheriff's Office is actively investigating the homicide of Melinda Beardsley." Anyone with information related to the homicide of Melinda Beardsley is encouraged to contact the Placer County Sheriff's Office Investigations Tip Line at 530-889-7830.