Castleberry Jane Doe Identified After Nearly Four Decades
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One of Arizona's longest unidentified homicide victims has finally been identified with the help of forensic genetic genealogy.
On May 15, 1989, the skeletal remains of a young woman were found by a construction crew working near the intersection of Castleberry Lane and Riverside Drive in Bullhead City, Arizona. The workers, who were digging a trench for a gas line in a vacant lot in the area, discovered the remains concealed in a shallow grave.
Forensic examiners estimated the victim to be a white female, between 17 and 19 years old and approximately 5'7". They determined she had dark, possibly bleached hair, and extensive dental work including a partial denture plate to replace two missing upper teeth.
A multicolored owl earring was found with the remains and a women's purse was found in the vicinity.
It was estimated that she had been dead anywhere from 2 to 10 years when she was found. At the time, the cause of death was withheld.
According to an article published in the Arizona Republic on May 25, 1989, a belt was found around the victim’s neck that did not contribute to her murder.
Later information detailed that a bullet was recovered from her skull and that her death was deemed a homicide. Details surrounding the case were not released publicly as the investigation was still active.
Lt. Bob Schubert of the Bullhead City Police, who was working the case back in 1989, said the victim’s description had been entered into a national database of missing persons, but there were no matches. Although police checked missing person reports against the victim’s description and personal effects and attempted to locate her using her dental records, they were unable to identify her and the case went cold.
The victim was given the placeholder names “Bullhead City Jane Doe” and “Castleberry Kate.”
Those following the case believe the composite sketch often featured on websites about the case resembled a mature woman rather than a teenager.
It was not until 37 years later that “Castleberry Kate” was identified.
On June 4, 2026, the Bullhead City Police Department published a statement confirming the identity of Jane Doe as Sonya Alice Langan.
In the statement, they explained that in 2024 their department was approached by the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit and offered federal grant funding for forensic genealogy testing in the case. The grant allowed the DNA Doe Project to develop a DNA profile that led investigators to relatives of the victim.
The DNA Doe Project is a non-profit organization that works to identify unidentified human remains.
The Project works together with police departments and forensic labs to obtain DNA from John and Jane Does, many of whom are attached to long-unsolved cold cases. They create DNA profiles which are then uploaded into public genetic genealogy databases. From there, family trees are built with the hope of leading investigators to any living relatives of the victim who are then contacted in regards to missing loved ones.
After connecting with Sonya's family, police discovered the teenager had never been reported missing after leaving home in 1982 at the age of 17. Relatives recalled that her home life was complicated and that she would often leave home for extended periods of time, without contact, and they believed that she had left willingly.
They added that in 1979, when Sonya was a freshman, she dropped out of Kingman High School and moved to Bullhead City to a residence on River Glen Drive, where she worked at a local Burger King.
Bullhead City, situated on the Colorado River opposite Laughlin, Nevada, is popular with winter tourists who come to escape colder climates around the U.S. The city is known for its desert trails, popular with RV enthusiasts and hikers, as well as fishing, kayaking and boating. It is also known for its proximity to casinos in Laughlin, Nevada, which have been operating since the mid-1960s.
Although the mystery of Sonya’s identity is now resolved, the person responsible for her murder remains unknown and is still a question that looms over the police and her family.
Anyone with information pertaining to Sonya’s case is encouraged to contact the Bullhead City Police Department at (928) 763-9200 and ask to speak with detectives.
