Summary

In May 1984, the skeletal remains of an unidentified individual were found on Silver Strand Beach in Oxnard, California. The Ventura County Sheriff's Office responded and began collecting evidence and investigating. Investigators located a human mandible (jaw bone) with intact teeth. It was determined that the skeletal remains belonged to an adult man, between the ages of 19 and 99 years old. In 2006, a traditional STR DNA profile was developed for comparison to missing persons and entered into CODIS, but no matches were returned.

Despite a lengthy investigation, the man could not be identified and he became known as Ventura County John Doe. Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP15150.

In an effort to solve the decades-long mystery, in early 2025, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas where advanced DNA testing has helped to identify numerous individuals in California and beyond. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the provided evidence and used its proprietary Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® (FGGS®) to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the man. Developed by Othram in Texas, more forensic genetic genealogy cases have been solved with Othram FGGS® than any other method.

This FGGS® profile was returned to law enforcement for a forensic genetic genealogy search, which yielded new information about the unknown man. A follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to a known case of a man who was killed at sea in 1978. Reference DNA samples were collected from a relative and compared to the DNA profile of the unidentified remains. This investigation led to the positive identification of the man, who is now known to be Donald Scott Reich, born December 16, 1944. Reich drowned in a boating accident in January 1978 and his body, which was missing a mandible, was recovered after being found along the rocks of a jetty about a month later.

At the time he went missing, 33-year-old Reich was a professional organist who had recently married and moved to Ventura County. He worked at the Wagon Wheel Junction complex in Oxnard, which was an entertainment complex that included a roller rink and restaurant. Reich owned a 23-foot boat that was in need of repair, and he met a mechanic at work who offered to help fix it after work. They two men were last seen at the harbor around 10:00 p.m. on a Sunday night. Investigators believe they took the boat out to test the engine and either ran out of gas or had an engine malfunction. They were reported missing that night and the Ventura County Sheriff's office and Coast Guard launched an air and sea search through the night that included a Sheriff's helicopter.

The next day, the wreckage of the boat was found strewn across Mandalay Beach, with pieces of the boat found over more than a mile of coastline. Investigators believe the boat lost power, drifted and got caught in the surf and was ripped apart by the sea and shore. The body of the mechanic, 20-year-old Mike Gay, was found by a helicopter floating about four miles offshore. Most of Reich's remains were found about a month later. His mandible was found on Silver Strand Beach six years later.

Individuals who have taken a consumer DNA test can aid ongoing forensic investigations by joining the DNASolves database. Expanding the number of available DNA profiles increases the likelihood of successful identifications, helping to reunite families with their missing loved ones and resolve cases that have remained unsolved for years.

The identification of Donald Reich represents the 72nd case in the State of California where officials have publicly identified an individual using technology developed by Othram. Visit DNASolves to learn about other California cases where your support can help bring long-awaited answers to families.