Vacaville 'Jane Doe' Body Identified After 28 Years

VACAVILLE (CBS SF) -- Using the latest in forensic technology, Solano County authorities have finally been able to identify a body found nearly 28 years ago in a field where Vacaville's Premium Outlets now stand.

Vacaville police said in a Facebook post the victim was identified as Cynthia Bilardi, a 30-something Bay Area wife and mother who decided to leave her family behind.

"We learned that she just went off and started doing her own thing, but we don't know what that is yet," said Vacaville police Lt. Chris Polen. "So, she had contacts in Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz … no idea why she was in Vacaville at the time of her death and that's what we're trying to put together."

Police said that were "no obvious signs of foul play or trauma and a cause of death was undetermined."

Contractors grading the then open field off of Nut Tree Road and Burton Drive located the body in April 1991 and police immediately were called to the scene. It was determined that Bilardi had been dead about 2-3 weeks when her remains were discovered.

At the time, neither the police nor the coroner's office were able to identify the body and it was relegated to cold case status.

In 1998, Bilardi's remains were exhumed by police and the coroner and a facial reconstruction sketch was done and distributed. There were many leads, but they all came up empty.

Then late last year, detectives were notified by the Cal-DOJ Missing Person's Unit that they had identified "Jane Doe" using updated fingerprint technology. She was identified as Cynthia Merkley "AKA" Cynthia Bilardi.

Bilardi wasn't reported as a missing person at the time of her death, but detectives have been in contact with family members and continue with their investigation.

She was 38-years-old at the time of her death and had been living between Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa. Bilardi had been estranged from her family for several years before her death.

Police say they still don't know why Cynthia Bilardi died or even what she was doing in the Bay Area. But now that they know who Jane Doe was, detectives will continue the quest that has challenged them for 28 years.

"And now we're going to learn who Cynthia was so we can tell her family, 'This is what happened,'" said Polen. "That's our goal."

Detectives were asking for anyone who knew her at the time of her death to come forward and provide information that could assist them with this investigation.

People who think they knew Cynthia please contact Detective Andy Polik at (707) 469-4814 or email him at Andrew.Polik@cityofvacaville.com. You can remain anonymous if you wish.