Police have identified a Father and Son as Persons of interest
SANTA CRUZ—Investigators with the Santa Cruz Police Department have identified the victim of a murder that took place nearly 20 years ago at Pogonip Park in Santa Cruz. Police identified the victim as 17-year-old Kori Joanne Lamaster from Pacifica.
Multiple trails cross the wooded parklands at Pogonip.
Lamaster’s body was found partially buried in the park by two hikers back in 1994. Lamaster was not reported missing at that time. Although Ms. Lamaster was last seen in 1993, her family did not file a missing persons report with the Pacifica Police until 2007.
Identification was finally confirmed through fingerprints obtained from the victim at the time of her autopsy. Police compared the fingerprint card taken from the autopsy to that of a fingerprint card taken when the victim was very young. The family had held the card until they filed the report.
“In 2008, the Lamaster family submitted a DNA sample to the Pacifica Police for their case. Santa Cruz Deputy Chief Steve Clark wrote in a press release, “The State Department of Justice Crime Lab notified the Santa Cruz Police of the possible family match back in October of 2013.”
Kori Lamaster before she left home. She wasn’t reported as missing for 14 years.
The story does not end with the identification of the victim. The Santa Cruz Police Department is still actively pursuing this case as a homicide. Now that they identified their victim, police are hopeful that someone who might have seen or might have been traveling with Ms. Lamaster will come forward with more information.
Police have identified 2 individuals as “persons of interests”, Wayne White and his son, Greg White. Greg has since died, but Wayne is believed to live in Tennessee.
Read More:
Santa Cruz Sentinel: After 20 years, Santa Cruz murder victim ‘Pogonip Jane’ identified as Pacifica teen
KTVU: Santa Cruz ‘Pogonip Jane’ cold case murder takes ironic twist
Santa Cruz Patch: Two Decade Old ‘Pogonip Jane’ Cold Case Solved by Santa Cruz Police
