A teenage boy has been identified more than 30 years after his remains were discovered in California.
The remains were found in August 1993 and, for decades, the case was known as “Camarillo Teen 1993.” Investigators said the teen was located when crews were clearing a dump site near Beardsley and Wright roads in Camarillo, according to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.
At the time, authorities were unable to determine who he was, and officials said there were no immediate leads that could explain how he disappeared.
Examiners could only establish that the remains belonged to a boy believed to be between 13 and 18 years old.
In 2025, forensic evidence was sent to Othram Labs in Texas. After advanced DNA testing, the teen was identified as Joseph Patrick Reardon, who was also known as Joe Gilbreth.
Joseph was born on June 17, 1970, in Fresno, California.
Even with the identification, many parts of his story remain unclear. The Sheriff’s Office is now asking anyone who may have known him to share information.
“If you knew Joseph Patrick Reardon, also known as Joe Gilbreth, even in passing, we urge you to come forward,” they said in a press release.
“Any detail, no matter how small, could be the key to bringing answers and closure to this case,” they added. “Please contact the Cold Case Unit with any information you may have.”
California birth records reviewed by SFGate indicate Joseph’s parents were young at the time of his birth — his mother was reportedly 16 and his father 19.
SFGate also reports that a Ventura County Sheriff’s Office cold case investigator said Joseph was living in a group home in Oxnard in 1985.
The following year, he was reportedly a student at Hughson High near Modesto.
Authorities have not said how long his body may have been at the Camarillo location before it was found.
The identification follows other recent cases where DNA technology has helped resolve long-running disappearances. In another investigation, officials said a missing teenager’s case was closed after remains were matched through genetic testing.
Jacob, from Niceville, Florida, was reported missing in February 2016, and his family received answers roughly a decade later.
In 2022, human remains were located in Miramar Beach, about 17 miles from Niceville, and were later confirmed to be Jacob’s.
The Walton County Sheriff’s Office said at the time: “Ten years is a long time, but Jacob is home. Jacob’s back.
“His family is able to make a little bit of closure, and it’s our hope that we can continue to get answers,” via Newsweek.