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Remains of Oregon teenager identified after 54 years using advanced genetic genealogy

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Remains of Oregon teenager identified after 54 years using advanced genetic genealogy


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The remains of a missing teenager found 54 years ago have finally been identified, the Oregon State Police said. 

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Sandra Young was a student at Portland’ Oregon’s Grant High School when she went missing in 1968 or 1969, the Oregon State Police said in a release this week. 

Her skeleton was found by a Boy Scout troop leader in 1970 in a shallow grave on Sauvie Island along the Columbia River along with the tattered remains of her clothing and a black wig.

Investigators said they suspected foul play, but no one has ever been charged in her death. 

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Sandra Young, left, and an image of what she would have looked like based on analysis of her remains.  (Oregon State Police)

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“Sandra Young has now regained her identity after 54 years,” said Dr. Nici Vance, the state’s Human Identification Program Coordinator at the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office. “Her story represents a remarkable amount of diligence and collaboration between family members, detectives, Oregon State Medical Examiner staff, and our contract laboratory, Parabon NanoLabs. 

“This is yet another example of the innovative ways the ME’s Office and investigative genetic genealogy can help Oregonians find closure. This technology gives investigators the powerful ability to assist all Oregon agencies with the resolution of their cold case mysteries.”

In 2004, Young’s remains were moved to the state’s medical examiner facility in Clackamas County with more than 100 other unidentified remains. 

A bone sample was sent to the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification and an anthropology report was done. 

Despite her DNA profile being added to the Combined DNA Index System or CODIS, which is a DNA database for missing persons, no matches were found.

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Parabon NanoLabs and GEDMatch were key in identifying Sandra Young through DNA phenotyping and genetic genealogy.  (iStock)

 In 2018, Young’s case was identified as one that could possibly be solved using DNA Phenotyping and Investigative Genetic Genealogy and the Oregon State Police Medical Examiner’s Office was awarded a National Institute of Justice grant.

Using a fragment of her bone, Parabon NanoLabs used her genetic material to find that she was of West African, South African, and Northern European descent, with brown to dark brown skin, brown eyes, and black hair.

Still unidentified in 2021, a prediction of what her face looked like was created.  

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“To see her face come to life through DNA phenotyping was striking,” Vance said. 

Last year, someone uploaded their DNA onto GEDMatch, a genetic genealogy and family tree search company, and a match was made with Young. 

Oregon State Police (Oregon State Police / Facebook)

A genetic genealogist spoke to other family members of Young’s distant relative, encouraging them to upload their DNA and eventually a family tree started to emerge. Relatives said Young had gone missing from Portland either in 1968 or 1969. 

A woman identified as Young’s sister was then interviewed by the Portland Police Bureau. 

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“Through a series of informative, poignant, and difficult interviews, Detective [Heidi] Helwig learned that this individual not only lost a teenage sister when Sandra went missing in 1968 or 1969, they also lost a sister to gun violence in the 1970s,” the police said. “The family member was cooperative, supportive, and motivated to determine if the remains could be their sister, Sandra Young.”

In October, a definitive profile determined Sandra “Sandy” Young was born on June 25, 1951, and went missing in 1968 or 1969. 

The Portland Police Bureau has been encouraged by the state police to investigate the circumstances of Young’s death. 

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Genetic genealogy casework has been highly successful but can cost up to $10,000 per case. 

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Timeline video traces SB 1008’s impact on Oregon juvenile justice, viewers can watch now

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Timeline video traces SB 1008’s impact on Oregon juvenile justice, viewers can watch now


Oregon’s juvenile justice system has been reshaped in recent years by a sweeping reform law that changed how the state handles minors accused of serious crimes.

Senate Bill 1008, which took effect in 2020, ended automatic transfers of juveniles into adult court and eliminated life without parole sentences for juveniles. The law also created “second-look” hearings and established parole eligibility after 15 years for certain offenders who committed crimes before turning 18.

To help explain the law and its impact, KVAL’s Frannie Pedersen put together a timeline video tracing the history of Senate Bill 1008, from the passage of Measure 11 in 1994 to the reforms that later reshaped Oregon’s juvenile justice system.

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The video breaks down how the law changed, why lawmakers pushed for reform, and how SB 1008 continues to influence Oregon’s justice system today. Viewers can watch the full video for a detailed timeline and explanation of the changes.



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New Jersey man sentenced in Oregon federal court for conspiring to distribute fentanyl

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New Jersey man sentenced in Oregon federal court for conspiring to distribute fentanyl


A New Jersey man was sentenced to federal prison last Friday for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.

Mark T. Eager, 34, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.

“This defendant showed a blatant disregard for human life by trafficking fentanyl across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “My office will continue to pursue those who profit from poisoning our communities, and we will use every available resource and partnership to combat fentanyl trafficking and keep Oregonians safe.”

“This investigation brought together law enforcement agencies from across the nation,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Homeland Security Investigations special agents from Portland, Newark, and Houston contributed to the case, along with the Portland Police Bureau and HIDTA HIT officers, who were instrumental in identifying Eager. His 11-year sentence sends a clear message: no matter where you are in the country or the world, if you attempt to sell narcotics online to Americans, we will find you.”

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“Fentanyl trafficking poses a grave threat to communities across the United States, and Homeland Security Investigations is committed to working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks responsible,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas. “This case demonstrates the power of interagency collaboration under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, leveraging resources from across the country to hold traffickers accountable and protect the American people. We will continue to pursue those who endanger lives through the distribution of dangerous synthetic opioids, and we remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard our communities from the violence and instability caused by transnational criminal organizations.”

“By following this offender’s digital trail, Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners nationwide executed federal search warrants, dismantled an active dark web fentanyl packaging operation and recovered deadly amounts of fentanyl, thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, and a trove of electronic devices and packaging materials,” said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “This case is a powerful example of how coordinated, data-driven investigations can disrupt dangerous networks and help protect our communities from lethal synthetic opioids.”

According to court documents, from November 2023 through June 2024, Eager and his co-conspirator sold fentanyl on the Dark Net and Telegram. Eager operated as the vendor WRSEH10 and marketed the fentanyl as “China White Synthetic Heroin.”

In June 2024, HSI agents executed search warrants on two residences associated with Eager in Kearny, New Jersey, and seized over 360 grams of powdered fentanyl, counterfeit M30 pills, drug ledgers, cellular phones, two computers, and drug packaging consistent with three deliveries that were sent to Oregon.

On September 4, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Eager with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.

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On February 4, 2026, Eager pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.

HSI Portland and HSI Houston investigated this case with assistance from HSI Newark, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT). Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey assisted the U.S. Attorney’s in Oregon in obtaining the search warrants that were executed in Kearny.



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4 Takeaways From Oregon State Baseball’s Run At The Eugene Regional

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4 Takeaways From Oregon State Baseball’s Run At The Eugene Regional


Oregon State’s season came to an end in Eugene on Sunday evening, after a rocky 7th inning doomed them against the 11th-ranked Oregon Ducks. The Beavers put up a valiant effort to try and fight their way back from the loser’s bracket, but they couldn’t accomplish this incredible feat that they pulled off in 2025.

A Bad Start Changed Everything

Winning the first game of a regional is almost a must if you want to advance, and this is where things started to go south.

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After a nearly two-week layoff (since they didn’t have a conference tournament), OSU’s bats were rusty against a very solid left-hander in WSU’s Nick Lewis. Though the Beavers were able to put up a run early on, Lewis rolled with the punches and ended up throwing a complete game against the country’s seventh-ranked team. Though their bats came to life the next day, the uphill climb proved to be too much.

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Pitching Wasn’t the Issue

Oregon State came into this tournament with the nation’s best ERA, and their starting rotation was exactly as advertised.

After a good outing from Kleinschmit on Friday afternoon, Eric Segura threw a 6.2 inning gem in an elimination game against Yale. True freshman Trey Morris threw 117 pitches in the rout of WSU early Saturday, and Wyatt Queen was excellent against the Ducks off of short rest later that evening.

The Power Just Wasn’t There

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In today’s era of baseball where starting pitchers are so talented, it’s crucial to have guys that can get you runs with just one swing of the bat, especially when the man on the hill is striking a lot of people out.

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Throughout the entirety of this season, the Beavers have not been a club that hits for much power, and this makes things difficult in the postseason. In four games across the Eugene regional, Oregon State didn’t hit a single ball out of the park. In 2026 they only hit a total of 55 homers, a stark contrast from the 107 of 2025’s Omaha year.

They Ran into a Good Team With a Deep Pitching Staff

In Mark Wasikowski’s tenure with the Ducks, his team’s pitching has often been a crutch that holds them back from big postseason runs. This certainly doesn’t seem to be the case this year.

Throughout the regional that they hosted, Oregon starters looked nearly untouchable. Will Sanford struck out 14 batters and didn’t allow a run against Washington State. Yesterday against the Beavers, left-hander Miles Gosztola was phenomenal, bouncing back after allowing a run in the second inning. The Ducks also have great relievers in guys like Tanner Bradley and Devin Bell. With a lot of reliable arms to go to, it would’ve been difficult to beat Oregon twice.

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