JERSEY SHORE — The investigation into the death of a 17-year-old Lycoming County girl whose body was found more than 45 years ago in a California vineyard remains active, authorities there say.

DNA evidence preserved from when the body was recovered in 1979 is being looked at, a spokesperson for the San Bernardino sheriff’s office, said Monday.

It was advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy that resulted in authorities last April being able to identify the remains of Karen Marie Heverly, who had lived in Jersey Shore.

It was determined she had left home in Jersey Shore in 1979 at the age of 16 under unknown circumstances, investigators said.

Jersey Shore Area School District records indicated she withdrew from school in 1977 after she finished eighth grade.

Law enforcement in Lycoming County say they have nothing in their records about the girl whose death has been ruled a homicide.

The following is taken from information provided by the sheriff’s office and Othram Inc., the Texas firm that did the forensic processing of DNA samples:

A worker found the body of a young, white female at about 12:20 p.m. on June 7, 1979, in vineyards in Rancho Cucamonga. It contained no identifying marks, scars or tattoos and had suffered traumatic injuries.

Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs).

A forensic sketch depicting how the young woman appeared during her life was developed and released to the public in hopes that it would generate new leads about her identity.

Investigators exhausted all leads attempting to identify the victim and the case went cold.

In 2023 the sheriff’s office cold case homicide team with the assistance of the county coroner reopened the investigation and sent DNA samples to Othram whose scientists developed a suitable extract.

A comprehensive DNA profile was built that was used in a genealogical search to produce investigative leads.

Through follow-ups with those leads the remains were identified as those of Heverly, who was born Jan. 27, 1962.

Anyone with information about the case is to contact Detective Justin Carty in the sheriff’s office Specialized Investigations Division at 909-890-4904.