Human remains discovered in 1990 identified

On February 25, 1990, skeletal remains of an unidentified person were discovered by two hikers approximately 13 miles east of Battle Mountain, Lander County, Nevada, in an area referred to as Hilltop Canyon. The remains could not be positively identified but were determined to be female. Over the years, multiple methods were used to identify the person, but were unsuccessful.

In June 2022, the Nevada State Police, Investigation Division and the National Missing and

Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) partnered with Othram Inc. technology to determine if advanced forensic DNA testing could establish an identity for the woman or a close relative.

With funding graciously provided by NamUs, the Research Triangle Institute, and the National Institute of Justice, skeletal remains were sent to Othram. Othram’s in-house genealogy team used forensic genetic genealogy to produce investigative leads, which were returned to Nevada State Police detectives. DNA was extracted from the remains, and Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing was used to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the unknown woman. Further investigation identified the person as Judy Manzaneras of Salt Lake City, Utah. Manzaneras had been missing since 1989 and was just 19 years old when she was last seen. The cause of death was ruled as a homicide.

Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact the Nevada State Police Investigation Division at 775-684-7412.