Kern County Sheriff’s Office’s Search for Truth on Ada Beth Kaplan’s Unsolved Homicide in Bakersfield

Explore the dedicated work of the Kern County Sheriff’s Office as they seek answers and justice, making breakthroughs in challenging investigations on Ada Beth Kaplan’s case.

On a nondescript day in March 2011, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office received a shocking and gruesome discovery. A woman’s headless and thumbless body lay lifeless at Grape Vineyard on Sebastian Road. (Photo: Daily Mail)

Delve into the tireless efforts of Kern County Sheriff’s Office to uncover the truth in Ada Beth Kaplan’s case

On a nondescript day in March 2011, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office received a shocking and gruesome discovery. A woman’s headless and thumbless body lay lifeless at Grape Vineyard on Sebastian Road. Despite exhaustive searches for clues and missing person records, investigators were unable to identify the victim. She had been drained of blood, and the remains were partially decomposed as reported in True Crime Daily. Sheriff’s Spokesman, Ray Pruitt, described the crime scene as “creepy.” Her death was determined a homicide, but the location and cause remained unknown.

The case was dubbed “Kern Co. Jane Doe 2011,” and she was buried at Union Cemetery. It wasn’t until 2020 that the Kern County Medical Examiner’s Office contacted the DNA Doe Project for assistance. Genetic genealogists worked tirelessly, piecing together DNA matches, creating family trees, and delving into the past. The project helped to identify two potential family members on the East Coast in July 2023, leading investigators to the much-anticipated breakthrough.

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Ada Beth Kaplan was born in 1957 and raised in the United States. As part of a follow-up investigation, Kern County Sheriff’s Office detectives discovered that family members did not file a missing person report. Kaplan’s cause of death and the location of her murder are still unknown. No suspects have been named in the case.

The Kern County Sheriff’s Office and DNA Doe Project continue to work diligently to bring Kaplan’s killer to justice. This month, officials released a facial reconstruction of the victim using DNA, and they hope to find new leads in the case.

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