The only known photo of victim Reginald “Reggie” Frisby. Credit: California DOJ
In the mid-1980s, Leonard Lake and Charles Ng raped, tortured and murdered at least 11—possibly 25 or more—men, women and children at a remote cabin near Wilseyville, Calif. Now, thanks to genetic genealogy, investigators have identified one of the bodies found in June 1985 at a crime scene linked to the Wilseyville Serial Killings.
Identifinders International, working with Intermountain Forensics and the Calaveras Cold Case Task Force, used IGG to identify the body as Reginald “Reggie” Frisby. Frisby, who was born in 1956 in the state of New York, had never been reported missing and was previously not considered or suspected to be a potential victim of the Wilseyville Serial Killers.
Case background
In November 2022, the Calaveras Cold Case Task Force—a non-profit group funded entirely by donations—conducted a reexamination of unidentified remains found in 1985. The cold case had more than 1,000 fragments of human remains exhumed from a San Andreas crypt, as well as additional unidentified remains that were in the custody of the Calaveras County Coroner.
At the time of the crime, investigators created a composite sketch of the victim and made numerous attempts at identification, but his name was never found. With the advantage of modern DNA analysis, Task Force members sent the remains to the California Department of Justice for analysis. The agency successfully obtained a DNA profile and entered it into CODIES, but no match was found.
With that, the Task Force turned to other DNA methods. Last year, they sent the remains to Intermountain Forensics, who successfully extracted a DNA profile suitable for IGG. The profile was then given to Identifinders to research.
In December, Identifinders developed a lead regarding a possible DNA match to the still--unidentified victim. Task Force investigators Identifinders began conducting interviews of potential family members, and determined that Reginald Frisby had not been in contact with his family since 1984. The San Francisco Police Department Homicide Unit also confirmed that Frisby had been living in the city of San Francisco as of January 1984.
Following these interviews, the California DOJ acquired and matched a DNA reference sample from Frisby’s mother—confirming the identity of the remains to be Reginald “Reggie” Frisby.
The circumstances regarding Frisby’s death are still being examined while Task Force members continue to review original reports, evidence and facts of the case. However, given where his remains were found and the history of the Wilseyville Serial Killings, it is believed that Frisby was most likely a victim of Lake and Ng.