A MOM only known as the "lady in the fridge" has been identified nearly 30 years after she was murdered.
Police announced on Thursday that the victim, who was found in a fridge in March 1995, was Amanda Lynn Schumann Deza.
3
3
3
The fridge that contained Amanda's body, which had been decomposing for several months, was found in an irrigation canal, west of Stockton, California.
Amanda, who was 29 at the time of her murder, was visibly injured, which made investigators believe she had been killed.
She was separated from her husband, with three small children at the time of her disappearance.
The mom was last seen at an apartment building in Napa with a man she met in a rehab center, according to Amanda's family.
Read more on cold cases
Amanda was known to spend time in the Napa, Oakley, and Delta areas of California, People reports.
Decades after the lady in the fridge was discovered, police cracked the cold case using DNA analysis and genealogy research.
"For 27 years, officers who have retired now, and now our cold case team, now has been working on this trying to identify and then find out who did this," said San Joaquin County Sheriff Pat Withrow on Thursday.
Lieutenant Linda Jimenez explained: "We were able to use investigative technology which combines DNA analysis with traditional genealogy research.
Most read in The US Sun
"This generates leads for us to follow up on in this unsolved violent homicide."
Authorities partnered with the DNA lab Othram last year, which used skeletal evidence to make a comprehensive DNA profile for the victim.
Amanda's possible mother and daughter were contacted in a follow-up investigation.
The women then gave their DNA sample to compare, which confirmed that Amanda was the murder victim.
While solving the lady in the fridge's identity was a big break in the murder case, police still don't know much about Amanda's disappearance or who killed her.
"We're missing several pieces to the years prior to her disappearance and her death," said Lieutenant Jiminez.
"And, we hope you will recognize Amanda and remember and reach out to us."
