Forensic genealogy solves the mystery of Castleberry Kate after nearly 40 long years
Forensic genetic genealogy has finally given a name to Arizona cold case victim Kate Castleberry
Nearly four decades after skeletal remains were unearthed in a vacant lot in Arizona, authorities have succeeded in giving the victim a name.
The Bullhead City Police Department announced on Friday that the victim was Sonya Alice Langan, positively identified through forensic genetic genealogy after years of unsuccessful attempts to establish her identity.
For decades, the victim had been referred to by investigators as "Castleberry Kate," a nickname derived from the location where her remains were discovered.
The original discovery in 1989
According to ABC15 Arizona, KSNV, and FOX5 Las Vegas, a construction crew came across skeletal remains in a vacant lot on Castleberry Lane in Bullhead City in May 1989.
Investigators concluded at the time that the victim was likely between 17 and 19 years old and estimated she had been dead for somewhere between two and ten years prior to the discovery. A bullet recovered from the victim's skull led authorities to classify the death as a homicide.
DNA funding leads to a breakthrough
A significant development came in 2024, when the Bullhead City Police Department and the Mohave County Sheriff's Office secured funding to pursue forensic genetic genealogy testing. Evidence from the case was submitted to the DNA Doe Project, and by late 2025, investigative genetic genealogists had produced a 99% genetic genealogy match pointing directly to Langan. She was formally identified in May 2026, police confirmed.
Family had no idea she was missing
Detectives subsequently made contact with surviving relatives, who revealed that Langan had never been formally reported missing. Family members told investigators that she was approximately 17 or 18 years old when she left home around 1982.
They described strained family relationships and lengthy periods without any contact, and said they had believed she had left of her own accord due to unhappiness at home. Relatives later provided DNA samples that helped to confirm her identity.
What family members recalled
According to the police release, family members recounted that Langan had withdrawn from Kingman High School as a freshman in 1979, prior to the family's move to Bullhead City. They also told investigators that she had lived near River Glen Drive and had worked at a Burger King before departing from the family home.
Investigation remains open
The homicide investigation into Langan's death remains active and ongoing. Anyone with information relating to Langan, her disappearance, or the circumstances of her death is urged to contact the Bullhead City Police Department and speak directly with detectives.
