The identity of a mysterious body known only as ‘John Doe #3’ has finally been uncovered, nearly 45 years later.
Detectives said breakthroughs in facial reconstruction and new DNA testing enabled them to identify the person discovered on February 2, 1980, as Donald Gene Horecka. His body was first discovered in a creek bed off Lopes Road in Benicia, California. Pathologists determined that he died as a result of corrosive esophagitis, a condition caused by consuming a chemical substance not intended for human use.
Despite an extensive inquiry that lasted several months, his name and the circumstances surrounding his death remained unknown. He was eventually laid to rest without being identified.
However, the Solano County Sheriff’s Office stated that the body of ‘John Doe #3’, as he was called, was excavated as part of the Doe Cold Case Project in July 2023. The investigation into his identification, as well as the events before his death, was then reopened.
Over the next 15 months, coroner investigators and forensic staff discovered additional clues to his identification. After 44 years, the guy was definitively recognized as 25-year-old Donald Gene Horecka of Las Vegas, Nevada, using facial reconstruction, modern DNA testing, and forensic genetic genealogy techniques.
He had previously been reported missing in his native state somewhere between the late 1970s and early 1980.
The Sheriff’s Office also released a series of stunning photos of Horecka as a teenager, as well as a CGI image of him before to his death. They’ve subsequently requested anyone who knows him to come forward and help with their investigations.
According to a representative for Sherri’s office, “If anyone has information about the disappearance or death of Donald Horecka, we ask the public to contact Coroner Investigator Jessica Dew at (707) 784-7500.”
