Summary

In April 1988, the skeletal remains of an unidentified individual were discovered in a shallow grave near Quincy, a small town in Plumas County, California. A tree trimming crew working under a power line one mile southwest of Purdy Lane and Highway 70 saw a bone sticking out of the ground and notified the Plumas County Sheriff's Office. Investigators excavated the site and found the near complete skeletal remains of a man with a small hole in the back of his skull, consistent with a gunshot wound.

During an extensive investigation that included sending tree root samples to the University of Arizona for analysis, it was estimated that the the earliest time the grave could have been dug was during the growing season of 1985 and the latest was the growing season of 1986.

The man's remains were sent to Chico State University where a forensic anthropologist determined the homicide victim was a stocky adult male, approximately 35 to 45 years of age. The California Department of Justice attempted to identify the victim by dental records without result and the remains were later returned to Chico State University Anthropology Lab.

Over the years, the investigation was revisited as advancements in forensic science were made. An STR profile was eventually developed from the man's remains and entered into CODIS. The CODIS search did not yield a match. Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP88456. Despite investigators’ attempts to identify the man, the case was cold and the man's identity remained a mystery.

In 2023, the Plumas County Sheriff's Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram in hopes that advanced DNA testing could assist in the identification of the man. Upon receipt of evidence at Othram's laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas, Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract. A comprehensive DNA profile was then built for the man using Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing®. After successfully completing the process, the DNA profile was delivered to the FBI's forensic genetic genealogy team and the FBI team performed the necessary work to generate new investigative leads in the case.

Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted, leading investigators to potential relatives of the man. With this new information, investigators were able to identify the man as Paul Richard Davis, a former resident of Kern County, California. Family members said Davis lived a transient lifestyle, sporadically calling them but stopped in the early 1980s. The last known contact with Davis was January 1983 when he was released from custody in Santa Rosa, California for petty theft.

The investigation into the homicide continues and anyone with information about Paul Davis is asked to contact the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office - Detective Unit at 530-283-6363.

Funding for Othram's casework costs associated with the advanced DNA testing in this case was provided by NamUs, a national program that assists the criminal justice community with the investigation and resolution of missing, unidentified, and unclaimed persons cases across the United States and its territories. NamUs is funded and administered by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and is managed through a contract with Research Triangle Institute International. We are grateful for the support of RTI, NamUs, and the NIJ.

The identification of Paul Davis is the 54th case in California where officials have publicly identified an individual using technology developed by Othram. Visit DNASolves to learn about other Texas cases.