Identification of Human Remains Found on Salmon Creek Beach
DNA testing has confirmed that bones discovered on Salmon Creek State Beach in northern California during the summer of 2022 belong to Walter Karl Kinney, a former banker who was last seen in 1999. The remains were found by a family searching for seashells in June 2022.
The DNA Doe Project (DDP) announced on Thursday that the bones belonged to 59-year-old Kinney, who lived in nearby Santa Rosa. According to the DDP, the family initially found a bone in the sand that contained surgical hardware. A pathology examination suggested the bone was a tibia. However, no additional remains were found in the surrounding area, which initially hindered investigators from determining the identity of the remains.
Investigation and DNA Analysis
After the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office referred the case to the DDP, the organization’s investigative genealogists began working pro bono to identify the remains. They developed a DNA profile and uploaded it to GEDmatch, a public genealogy database, in January 2026.
The genealogists identified a family that had relocated from the East Coast to California, settling in the San Diego area. Tracing this family line eventually led investigators to Walter Karl Kinney, who was born in 1940. Although Kinney was born in San Diego, he later moved to Santa Rosa, which is relatively close to Salmon Creek State Beach, according to the DDP.
Critical Breakthrough and Confirmation
The DDP noted that a critical breakthrough came when team members found an article about human remains that had washed ashore in 1999, just a couple of miles south in Bodega Bay.
In 2003, a woman contacted investigators regarding her father, who had last been seen on August 10, 1999. Shortly afterward, investigators confirmed that the partial remains found in 1999 belonged to her father, Walter Karl Kinney, by using X-ray records to confirm the identification.
“The critical breakthrough came when team members found an article about human remains that had washed ashore in 1999, just a couple miles south in Bodega Bay.
In 2003, a woman got in touch with investigators regarding her father, who had last been seen on 10 August 1999. Shortly afterwards, investigators confirmed that the partial remains found in 1999 belonged to her father, Walter Karl Kinney, using X-ray records to confirm the ID.”
Family Statement and DDP Comments
A statement attributed to Kinney’s daughter described her father as “smart, sensitive, almost to a fault” and said that “this world was just too harsh a place for him.”
After identifying Kinney in just over a week, the DDP presented its findings to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, which later confirmed the identification.
“This case was unusual,” said Traci Onders, a DDP team leader. “It’s not often we see someone end up as a John Doe twice.”
Onders added: “But thanks to investigative genetic genealogy, we were able to resolve this mystery and provide some answers to everyone involved in this case.”
Official Response
The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office expressed gratitude toward the DNA Doe Project, stating:
“Thank you to the DNA Doe Project for helping us put a name to the human remains found at Salmon Creek Beach. We value this partnership as we continue working together to identify remains found in Sonoma county.”
