Reggie Frisby Returned to His Family

On Monday, July 13, 2026, Reginald “Reggie” Frisby was returned to his family after more than four decades.

It was a quiet and deeply meaningful conclusion to years of investigative work. Surrounded by flowers, members of Mr. Frisby’s family joined the Calaveras Cold Case Task Force, law enforcement representatives, forensic partners, community supporters, and others who helped carry the case forward.

For those of us who work behind the scenes in forensic laboratories, cases are usually experienced through evidence, samples, data, and reports. Even when the work leads to an identification, the news often arrives through an email or a phone call to investigators. We rarely witness what comes afterward.

We do not always see the moment when an answer reaches a family. We do not see the grief, the relief, or the care required to return someone to the people who have waited for them.

That is what makes this tribute to Mr. Frisby so profound.

Mr. Frisby’s identification was part of a much larger effort begun by the Calaveras Cold Case Task Force in 2021 to reexamine unidentified remains using advances in DNA technology and forensic investigative genetic genealogy. The project included the painstaking review of more than 1,000 fragments of human remains and teeth recovered during the investigation of the Wilseyville serial killings. Mr. Frisby’s remains had been found in 1985 and resisted identification for nearly 40 years. In 2024, Intermountain Forensics produced a DNA profile suitable for genetic genealogy, and Identifinders International developed a lead later that year. Investigators learned that Mr. Frisby, born in New York in 1956 and last known to be living in San Francisco, had not been in contact with his family since 1984 and had never been reported missing. A reference sample from his mother ultimately allowed the California Department of Justice to confirm his name in January 2025.

His identification was an important milestone, but it was not the end of the work. The Calaveras Cold Case Task Force continued until Mr. Frisby could be returned to his family with the dignity and respect he deserved.

To be fully transparent, the forensic laboratory work that contributed to Mr. Frisby’s identification was completed at Intermountain Forensics, not Resolve Forensics. Danny Hellwig and Derek Cutler were members of the Intermountain Forensics team involved in that work before Resolve was founded.

We are not sharing this moment to claim the case. We are sharing it because it is a powerful reminder of what this work is ultimately meant to accomplish.

This outcome required the commitment of many people, including Tim Sturm, Colleen Fitzpatrick and the amazing Identifinders International team, the Intermountain Forensics team, the Calaveras Cold Case Task Force, participating law enforcement agencies, and everyone else who helped move the investigation forward.

It was also made possible through community donations. Those contributions supported the forensic testing, investigative genetic genealogy, and the arrangements necessary to return Mr. Frisby to his family.

That generosity did not simply fund an investigation. It helped a family receive an answer and helped ensure their loved one was treated with care.

To Mr. Frisby’s family and friends, we send our warmest wishes.

To the investigators, scientists, genealogists, donors, and everyone who helped see this responsibility through to its conclusion: you have our deepest respect and gratitude.

The Calaveras Cold Case Task Force’s work is funded entirely through donations. Those wishing to help support future identifications can donated directly to the task force using this link: https://www.calaverascoldcase.org/donate/

Moments like this bring the true purpose of the science into full view. Seeing Mr. Frisby returned to his family was deeply emotional for all of us at Resolve. We are grateful to have a connection to this work, honored to recognize everyone who carried it through, and reminded why we keep showing up for the next family still waiting for an answer.