Crime & Safety
Human Remains Found On Bay Area Beach Traced Back To Missing Banker
The man disappeared in 1999, 23 years before one of his bones was discovered by a family looking for seashells, officials said.
SONOMA COUNTY, CA — The Sonoma Sheriff's office thanked the DNA Doe Project for helping identify the human remains found at Salmon Creek Beach on July 17, 2022.
In a social media post shared by the sheriff, the Salmon Creek John Doe had been identified as 59-year-old Walter Karl Kinney.
According to the organization, Kinney was a former banker who lived near Santa Rosa.
Find out what's happening in Sonoma Valleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Kinney disappeared in 1999, 23 years before one of his bones was discovered by a family looking for seashells, the organization said.
Copyright © 2026 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.
