A Bone On The Beach Solves A Mystery Nearly Three Decades Later In NorCal

HUMBOLDT COUNTY, CA — A human bone found on a Northern California beach has been identified as that of a fisherman lost at sea nearly three decades ago, according to authorities.

The bone — a sacrum — was reported in March in the area of Centerville Beach and turned over to officials, according to the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office, which added that the county coroner's office submitted it to the state justice department for DNA analysis, which matched the family of Jonathan Raxa.

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Raxa, 37, was lost Dec. 14, 1999, when the commercial fishing vessel Silver Spray was hit by a large wave at the entrance to Humboldt Bay that ripped the pilot house from the boat, the sheriff's office said. The captain and two crew members were recovered, but Raxa, the fourth crew member, wasn't found, according to the sheriff's office, which added that investigators located Raxa's son and got a DNA sample.

"This case highlights the importance of collecting and preserving DNA samples from family members of missing persons," the sheriff's office said in a news release. "These samples can provide critical investigative leads and assist law enforcement in identifying missing persons and resolving cases, even decades after a person's disappearance."