Decades-Old Mystery: Family Found for Woman murdered in Arizona Desert in 1989
MOHAVE COUNTY, Ariz. – A decades-long quest for answers in the 1989 murder of a young woman found near Las Vegas has taken a significant turn.The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office announced today they have located biological relatives of Marina Ramos, the victim whose identity remained a mystery for years.
The case, shrouded in uncertainty as Ramos’ body was discovered on December 12, 1989, near old Tempe Bar Road and White Hills Road, approximately 50 miles south of Las Vegas, has seen a breakthrough thanks to advancements in forensic genealogy. ramos had been brutally stabbed multiple times and left in a state of undress in the desert, investigators stated.
For years, authorities were unable to identify the victim. The case remained cold until 2022, when a fingerprint match linked the remains to a woman who had previously been identified as ”maria Ortiz” during a 1989 shoplifting arrest in bakersfield, California.
Further examination revealed “Ortiz” was an alias used by Marina Ramos. Crucially, investigators learned ramos had left behind two young daughters – a two-month-old and a 14-month-old – when she disappeared. This sparked a renewed effort to locate the children.
“Investigative follow up revealed that Ortiz had been arrested…A records check…showed that Ortiz had listed a residential address in Bakersfield along with the [names] of two friends,” the Sheriff’s Office stated. One of those friends was eventually located in Tennessee.While she didn’t recognize the name “Maria Ortiz,” she immediately connected it to her missing cousin, Marina Ramos, whose physical description matched that of the unidentified victim.
the breakthrough came on August 27, 2025, when investigators located a woman with a strong DNA match to known Ramos family members. Forensic genetic genealogy analysis confirmed a high probability that this woman was one of Ramos’ missing daughters.
The Sheriff’s Office has not yet released details regarding the current location or identities of the relatives, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation. Though, this discovery represents a monumental step forward in bringing closure to a tragic case that has haunted the region for over three decades.
The investigation remains active, and authorities are hopeful that this new advancement will lead to further clues and, ultimately, the identification of the person responsible for Marina Ramos’ murder.
Keywords: Marina Ramos, Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, cold case, murder, unidentified remains, forensic genealogy, missing persons, Arizona, Las Vegas, Maria Ortiz.
