Teacher Vanished — Then Her Skull Was Found on a Beach

On a quiet November morning in 1987, detectives at the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office opened a package that would haunt them for decades. Inside was a partial skeleton — and a map drawn by an anonymous sender.

That was just the beginning.

A Disappearance That Raised Red Flags

Kay Josephine Medin, also known as Kay Adams, was a 48-year-old elementary school teacher living in the rural community of Hyampom, California. On Aug. 3, 1987, her husband, Nickolas Medin, returned from a business trip to find her missing. Her car, glasses, and purse were still at the house.

She had not shown up for work — something completely out of character for the well-liked teacher, who, according to her employer, had been in good spirits and reported no health issues.

The Trinity County Sheriff's Office launched an investigation and searched the Medin property and surrounding wilderness. Volunteers scoured the rugged terrain of the Trinity Mountains, but no trace of Kay was found.

Her disappearance was quickly labeled suspicious.

A Box in the Mail and a Map to More Remains

On Nov. 25, 1987, the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office received a disturbing package in the mail — a box containing skeletal remains and a letter with directions to a location near Ammon Ridge Road, about 45 miles west of Kay's home.

Detectives followed the map and discovered more remains. Dental records confirmed that they belonged to Kay.

Although a death certificate was issued in 1988, Kay was still listed as a missing person since only partial remains were recovered at the time.

The identity of the person who mailed the remains and the map is still unknown. According to PEOPLE, cold case investigator Mike Fridley said, "It could go either way. It could have just been somebody that was deer hunting or didn't want to get involved or could be the killer. Who knows."

A Skull Found on the Beach

Years later, in February 1993, a man walking along the beach at Trinidad Head — nearly 100 miles from where the other remains had been found — discovered a partial human skull and turned it in to the Fortuna Police Department.

Investigators created a DNA profile and entered it into multiple databases, including the California Missing Person DNA Database and the National Unidentified Person DNA Index. No match was found at the time.

The skull remained unidentified for over 30 years.

DNA Technology Brings Breakthrough

In 2024, thanks to federal Community Project Funding secured by Congressman Jared Huffman, the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office began revisiting cold cases involving unidentified remains. The skull was sent to Othram Inc., a private lab in Texas that specializes in forensic-grade genome sequencing.

Othram's team built a new DNA profile from the skull and began conducting forensic genetic genealogy research. By September 2024, Othram provided the sheriff's office with a potential identity: Kay Josephine Medin. Investigators located Kay's daughter and obtained a DNA sample. The California Department of Justice confirmed the match in May 2025.

A Cold Case Still Open

Despite this long-awaited identification, authorities still don't know how or why Kay died — or who was responsible. Her death is now classified as a homicide, and the case remains open.

According to Othram, the separation of her remains — found nearly 100 miles apart — has yet to be explained.

Nickolas Medin, who reported his wife missing, died in 2018 and was never publicly identified as a suspect.

Authorities are once again asking the public for help. "That maybe somebody has some information that could get this case going again. And you know, a lot of times as time goes by people might come forward and talk to us that were reluctant to do that back then," Fridley said, according to PEOPLE.

If you or someone you know has information about Kay's disappearance or death, contact the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office at 707-441-3024.

References: She Vanished Decades Ago. Then Her Skeletal Remains Were Mailed to Police — and Now She's Been ID'd | Humboldt County Sheriff's Office Teams with Othram to Identify a 1993 Jane Doe | Cold Homicide Case Skeletal Remains Identified | Calif. Schoolteacher's Remains Found in Two Locations, Over 50 Miles Apart