Credit: California Statewide Law Enforcement Association
On Dec. 16, 2024, the Solano County Sheriff’s Office announced the identity of a man found dead on February 2, 1980 along a creek bed in Benicia. The body was identified only as an adult male and became known as John Doe #3 (1980). The investigation into John Doe’s identity and the circumstances surrounding his death continued for several months, but he was ultimately laid to rest without being identified. The investigation did reveal he died as a result of corrosive esophagitis, which results from ingesting a chemical substance not meant for human consumption.
In July 2023, as part of the Doe Cold Case Project, the body of John Doe #3 (1980) was exhumed, and the investigation into his identity and the circumstances surrounding his death was re-opened.
After 44 years, through the use of facial reconstruction, new DNA testing, and forensic genetic genealogy, the John Doe #3 (1980) was positively identified as Donald Gene Horecka, 25, of Las Vegas. Horecka went missing from Nevada sometime in the late 1970s to early 1980.
The Solano County Coroner’s Office extended its thanks to Forensic Artist PJ Puterbaugh, Othram Inc., the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and the California Department of Justice for their invaluable assistance in identifying Horecka. Their expertise, assistance, and dedication were instrumental in identifying Horecka.
Republished courtesy of California Statewide Law Enforcement Association