DECEDENT’S NAME: Ada Beth Kaplan
CASE #: 2011-00607
CITY OF RESIDENCE: Canyon Country, CA
AGE: 64 years
TYPE OF CASE: Homicide
DATE OF INCIDENT: Unknown
TIME OF INCIDENT: Unknown
LOCATION: Unknown
DATE OF DEATH: Found March 29, 2011
TIME OF DEATH: 0705 hours
PLACE OF DEATH: Grape Vineyard, Sebastian Road, just east of Wheeler Ridge Road, Arvin
INVESTIGATING AGENCY: Kern County Sheriff
DETAILS: A deceased female was located at the above location on March 29, 2011. Efforts to identify her from missing persons records and fingerprints were unsuccessful. Two out-of-county missing persons cases created interest, but they were ruled out by DNA. The Coroner submitted specimens to DOJ and a DNA profile was created. There were no hits on her DNA as a Missing Person or from CODIS.
A postmortem examination was conducted and the cause of death was Undetermined and the manner of death was Homicide. Jane Doe was laid to rest at Union Cemetery after all leads to identify her were unsuccessful.
In February 2020, the Coroner’s Office, working with DNA Doe Project, successfully identified a cold case Jane Doe from 1980 using genealogy DNA. As a result of that successful identification, in July 2020 the Coroner made the decision to again seek a genealogy profile to help identify the cold case of Jane Doe 2011 with the assistance of the DNA Doe Project. The DNA Doe Project began building a family tree based on the genetic profile created.
In July 2023, the DNA Doe Project identified two potential family members that resided on the East Coast. They agreed to provide a DNA specimen for comparison. Jane Doe 2011 was identified as 64-year-old Ada Beth Kaplan.
Kern County Sheriff detectives followed up on the investigation and interviewed family members and it was learned that a missing person report was not filed on her. The location and suspect involved in her death remains unknown.
COMMENTS: Family has been notified
DONNY YOUNGBLOOD, Sheriff-Coroner
CONTACT INFORMATION: Kern County Sheriff
PHONE: (661) 487-4553
