Not just a face in the crowd

Mystery of Berryessa woman begins to unravel

A combination of old-fashioned police work, modern technology and the power of the media have brought us closer to solving a terrible mystery, as Napa County Sheriff’s detectives confirmed Wednesday they know the identity of a woman whose remains were found on a hillside near Monticello Dam.

The first mystery is solved. We hope detectives have as much luck with the rest of the case, which might prove even more difficult.

The investigation was launched on Mother’s Day when a sheriff’s deputy on an lonesome stretch of Highway 128 noticed something unusual near the side of the road. What he saw turned out to be the physical remains and clothing of a person whose lifeless body had been dumped between six months and a year earlier.

Forensic testing revealed much, including her gender, likely age, childbirth history and more. It did not reveal her identity, though, and investigators brought in a Marin County specialist who can accurately reconstruct the appearance of a person from a more-or-less complete set of bones.

The artist, Gloria Nusse, set to work and last week unveiled a likeness of the woman. Media from around the Bay Area came to Napa for the unveiling. A hit was almost immediate. An Oakland woman saw the face on TV, believed it was her mother and called the Napa County Sheriff’s Department, whose probe into the matter is being led by Napa County Sheriff’s Det. Chris Carlisle.

The artist’s facial reconstruction effort had worked, and investigators then used dental records to confirm the woman was Johnethel McGehee, 47, of Oakland.

Now, more mysteries require unraveling. Who might have killed Ms. McGehee, when and why?

This information may not be so easy to reconstruct, but is just as important. A life has been lost, and somebody out there is eluding responsibility. With good luck and hard work, investigators soon may be able to attach other names to this case.

Napa Valley Register Copyright © 2009