PORTLAND, Ore. — The remains of a Portland teenager who went missing more than five decades ago were recently identified, according to Oregon State Police.
Sandra Young, a former Grant High School student, went missing around 1968. Her remains, discovered in 1970, remained unidentified for 54 years.
“We were really happy and honored be a part of this resolution — as bittersweet as it is — because, finally, we have a first and last name for this teenage girl and are finally able to give her back to her family,” said Dr. Nici Vance, the state’s Human Identification Program Coordinator at the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office.
On Feb. 23, 1970, Young's remains were discovered buried in a shallow grave at the far north end of Sauvie Island by a Boy Scout troop leader. He first saw what were thought to be missing clothing when he then found her remains within the grave.
Investigators recovered the remains and parts of a black curly wig. They believed the trauma to the body suggested "foul play" in her death.
Young's remains were moved to the state medical examiner facility in Clackamas County in 2004. A series of bone samples were done, and an unnamed profile was able to be created in a missing person's database, NamUs, but no matches appeared, according to the news release. Her DNA results were then uploaded to a different database, CODIS, but no matches emerged.
In 2018, the State Medical Examiner's Office received a federal grant from the National Institute of Justice.
"We decided that this case was perfect to use this innovative DNA technique called DNA phenotyping and an innovative technique called investigative genetic genealogy," Vance explained.
While that testing gave investigators a composite of what her facial features were predicted to look like, the case again ran cold. It wasn't until January 2023, when an unknown distant relative uploaded their DNA into a genealogy database, GEDMatch, that investigators got a new lead.
"That family tree got narrowed down and narrowed down to one name," Vance explained. "We realized that this potentially could be Sandra Young."
Other family members, encouraged by a genetic genealogist, uploaded their DNA to the database and a more complete picture of Young's heritage emerged.
The final identification wasn't made until a genetic match, who appeared to be Young's sister, agreed to upload their DNA.
"This case may have never been solved without the cooperation and the collaboration with the family members," Vance said. "There’s nothing wonderful about these circumstances, but to be able to sleep at night and know she's accounted for — that means a lot to a family."
PPB is still investigating the circumstances surrounding Young's death. Oregon State Police believes she may be the victim of a violent crime.