SAN JOSE – May 31, 2024 – Detectives have identified vivian Moss, an Oakland grandmother, as the victim in a gruesome 1981 cold case, nearly 44 years after her headless torso was discovered in San Jose, california. Through forensic genealogy, investigators were finally able to identify the previously unidentified victim. This inquiry offers hope for bringing justice to the victim’s family.
Cold Case Cracked: 1981 Headless Torso Identified as Oakland Grandmother
In a stunning development, detectives have identified the victim of a gruesome 1981 cold case as Vivian moss, an Oakland grandmother. The breakthrough comes nearly 44 years after railroad workers discovered a headless torso in an empty field in San Jose, California. The Santa Clara District Attorney’s cold case unit used forensic genealogy and DNA to identify Moss, hoping this revelation will lead to her killer.
The grisly Discovery
On the morning of July 11, 1981, just before 10 a.m., railroad workers made the unsettling discovery. The dismembered and decomposing torso,wrapped in plastic,bore multiple stab wounds to the chest and was missing arms and legs. A pair of Christian medallions, one featuring Saint Christopher and the other the Virgin Mary, lay nearby. The field where the body was found is now a commuter rail transit center and parking structure.
Did You Know?
Forensic genealogy combines traditional genealogy research with DNA analysis to identify distant relatives,which can then be used to narrow down potential suspects or victims in cold cases.
“Vivian Moss was her name”
Santa Clara District Attorney Jeff Rosen announced the identification on may 27, stating:
Vivian Moss was her name. My office knows it. I know it. Her family knows it. And now our community knows it.
Jeff Rosen, Santa Clara District Attorney
Rosen expressed hope that this identification would help uncover the truth behind Moss’s murder.
DNA and Determination
Moss, a native of Arkansas, was a 54-year-old grandmother who may have worked at an elementary school in Oakland before her disappearance. Family members told investigators that Moss was “close” to preacher Louis H.Narcisse, the late founder of Oakland’s Mt. Zion Spiritual Church and a renowned vocalist.
Pro Tip:
If you have any facts about the Vivian Moss case, contact the santa Clara District Attorney’s office cold case unit instantly. Even seemingly insignificant details can be crucial.
How Moss Was Identified
In 2023,the Santa Clara DA’s office partnered with Parabon NanoLabs,a Virginia-based forensic genealogy company. Parabon suggested the remains were likely those of Vivian Moss. Cold case unit investigators tracked down Moss’ granddaughter in 2024. The granddaughter recalled waiting as a young girl in the 1980s for her grandmother to pick her up for an overnight stay,but Moss never arrived,and she never saw her again.
The DA’s office concluded that the remains were those of Moss based on Parabon’s testing, which compared the granddaughter’s DNA to evidence from the crime scene. Her case was featured in an October 2023 video showcasing the work of the DA’s office cold case unit.
District Attorney Rosen vowed to continue the pursuit of justice:
One day soon, I hope we will know the depraved person who took her life and left her in a field, hoping she would be forgotten. If her murderer is still alive, thay will know that we don’t forget in Santa Clara County.
Jeff Rosen, Santa Clara District Attorney
The Preacher Connection
Vivian Moss had a close association with Louis H. Narcisse, the founder of Oakland’s Mt. Zion Spiritual Church. Narcisse, known for his collaborations with gospel singer LORD JACKSON, was a prominent figure in the community.
According to SFGate.com, Narcisse, whose congregants called him “His Grace,” wore robes and a crown and carried a staff. He launched churches nationwide and hosted a syndicated Sunday radio show.
A profile by British music writer Opal Louis Nations describes Narcisse,who died in 1989,as enthralled with the british monarchy,a man thought by some to work miracles as he spread the gospel in his parish. Though, Nations wrote, “others saw him as a devil, con artist and clever snake-oil salesman” with “a darker, exploitative side” who “bled his parishioners dry.”
The church no longer operates and last posted on social media in November 2023.
Reader Question:
How can forensic genealogy help solve cold cases? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
FAQ: Vivian Moss cold Case
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who was Vivian Moss?Vivian Moss was a 54-year-old Oakland grandmother who was identified as the victim in a 1981 cold case.
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How was she identified?she was identified through DNA and forensic genealogy by the Santa Clara District Attorney’s cold case unit and Parabon NanoLabs.
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When was her body found?Her headless torso was found on July 11, 1981, in an empty field in San Jose, california.
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What is the current status of the investigation?The investigation is ongoing, with the hope that the identification of Vivian Moss will lead to the identification and arrest of her killer.
US presidential candidate Donald Trump has made racist accusations against migrants that they are bringing “bad genes” into the country – a statement that the US government immediately rejected as “disgusting”. In a radio interview on Monday, the Republican presidential candidate said that his Democratic rival Kamala Harris, as vice president, had allowed thousands of “murderers” into the country through her immigration policies.
Today they lived “in peace and quiet” in the USA. “These murderers, you know, I think it’s in their genes,” the former president said. “And we have a lot of bad genes in our country right now.”
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre strongly rejected the comments. “This type of language is hateful, disgusting, inappropriate and has no place in our country,” Jean-Pierre told reporters. These are “the same disgusting statements” made by Trump as those about migrants supposedly “poisoning the blood” in the USA.
Migration and the situation at the border with Mexico, through which many undocumented people come to the USA, is one of the important topics of the election campaign. The issue is a weak point for Harris, according to polls, as border crossings into the US reached record numbers in late 2023, during her term as vice president.
The 78-year-old Trump is relying on extremely anti-immigrant rhetoric during his election campaign, insulting undocumented immigrants at almost every one of his campaign appearances and declaring that he would order a mass deportation of migrants if re-elected. His statement that migrants were “poisoning the blood of our country” earned him comparisons to Adolf Hitler.
Four weeks before the presidential election on November 5th, opponents Trump and Harris are neck and neck in the polls in many places. Due to the peculiarities of the US electoral system, the election is likely to be decided in only a few states where the outcome is particularly close. These states also include Arizona, which has a long border with Mexico.
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The board of the FDP Ratingen has Dr. Markus Sondermann was unanimously nominated as mayoral candidate for the 2025 local elections. The lawyer Markus Sondermann has been working as a labor lawyer in the private sector for decades and has been parliamentary group leader of the FDP in the Ratingen city council since 2020.
“With Dr. “We have found the right man for Ratingen, Markus Sondermann,” emphasizes Alexander Steffen, chairman of the Ratingen FDP. “With his many years of professional experience and his commitment to local politics, he has the ideal conditions to further develop Ratingen in a sustainable and dynamic manner. Markus Sondermann will convince in the election campaign because he is close to the people and will tackle the future issues of our hometown with vision and energy. I am pleased that we were able to win him over for this important candidacy.”
Markus Sondermann would particularly like to work towards improving Ratingen’s schools, safety and cleanliness in the city and strengthening Ratingen as a business location. “Education, security and a strong local economy are the foundation for a successful future for our hometown,” said Sondermann. He wants to promote modern and well-equipped schools, ensure greater presence of law enforcement and cleanliness in public spaces.
Steffen adds that this election is not about party preferences, but rather about the question of who is the most suitable candidate as mayor: “We are convinced that Markus Sondermann has the best qualifications to lead Ratingen successfully. This election is an opportunity for the city to elect someone who understands and can address not only the political, but also the economic and administrative challenges.”
Markus Sondermann is to be officially elected mayoral candidate at a party conference of the Ratingen FDP at the beginning of November.
Is Evgeni Minchev a candidate for BSP deputy? The secular reporter has learned from the media that he has been nominated for inclusion in the lists of the left.
“The modern left…? Good morning, from this article I learn that I have been nominated by the BSP to be included in the lists of representatives of people from the “BSP-UNITED LEFT”. This is what the secular reporter Evgeni Minchev wrote on Facebook.
“Thank you for your trust and innovative thinking. I believe that the party needs renewal, attracting new voters, a new vision of the future, a new contribution to the development of our society and our country. Thanks again to everyone”, writes Evgeni Minchev.
Today in the program “Offensive with Lyubo Ognyanov” Ivan Ivanov from the BSP confirmed that the Sofia branch of the BSP has nominated Associate Professor Natalia Kiselova and Evgeni Minchev as MPs.
2024-09-21 17:00:00
#left #today #BSP
Unofficial information indicated that Witold Bańka, the president of the World Anti-Doping Agency, was to be the PiS candidate running in the presidential elections.
The person concerned, however, quickly cooled down the media speculation. “In relation to the information that appeared in the media today, I would like to inform you that I do not intend to run for the office of the President of the Republic of Poland. It is a great honor and privilege, but as I announced at the beginning of this year, in 2025 I intend to run for another term as president of the World Anti-Doping Agency. My mission in the coming years is to fight for clean sport,” wrote Witold Bańka on the X platform (formerly Twitter).
Bańka is a sensible candidate
It is not yet known who the PiS candidate for president will be. As Newsweek reported on Thursday, a hot name from the world of sports was supposed to appear in the pool of candidates. It is no wonder, then, that the candidacy of Witold Bańka – a former minister of sports – began to seem quite possible. “Witold Bańka knows languages, is internationally savvy, although not in political circles, but in sports. He also has a good presence,” the journalists wrote. At the same time, they noted that his candidacy was still in the realm of speculation. Bańka’s disadvantage was supposed to be the fact that he was not associated with defense and security, which are the most important criteria for Poles in choosing a president at the moment. As a minister of sports, he was not rated the highest either.
The presidency is not for Morawiecki
PiS is to reveal the name of its presidential candidate before the end of this year. However, it is known that it will not be Mateusz Morawiecki. The PiS chairman was recently asked about the strategy for the next elections on Radio Maryja. From the fragments of the interview that have been revealed so far, we have learned that he rather rules out the candidacy of the former prime minister and minister of finance, Mateusz Morawiecki. According to Kaczyński, he would be too easy a target for political attacks.
– Mateusz Morawiecki is burdened with the function of prime minister and making difficult decisions. This means that he is certain to enter the second round, but winning it would be the result of some miracle – assessed Kaczyński. At the same time, however, the PiS chairman opposed the voices unfavorable to Morawiecki.
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