Missing Opelika woman identified as California homicide victim after 45 years
A decades-old mystery has taken a major turn after investigators in California identified a homicide victim as a woman reported missing out of Opelika more than four decades ago.
The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office announced that a previously unidentified female homicide victim has been confirmed as Victoria Jean “Vicky” Hargrove, who disappeared from Opelika, Alabama, in 1980.
According to officials, investigators with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office used advanced genetic genealogy techniques to identify relatives of the unidentified victim. After being notified of a potential match, family members contacted the Opelika Police Department, linking the California case to a long-standing missing persons report.
Disappearance in 1980
Hargrove was last seen on January 28, 1980, and was officially reported missing on February 4, 1980. At the time, she had recently gone through a divorce and told family members she was leaving town, promising to call once she arrived at her destination. That call never came.
Investigators later determined she may have been in a relationship with a former co-worker, who was also reported missing shortly after her disappearance.
Suspicious timeline and vehicle recovery
In August 1980, the co-worker resurfaced in Lee County, Alabama. Around the same time, U.S. Marshals notified Hargrove’s ex-husband that her red 1978 Datsun B210 had been recovered at a hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Witnesses in Las Vegas identified the co-worker as the person driving the vehicle, noting that no female companion was seen with him.
During questioning, the man initially denied traveling with Hargrove or having possession of her car. He later changed his story, claiming she had given him the vehicle as repayment for a loan. He admitted to driving the car west but said he abandoned it in Las Vegas after realizing he did not have the proper ownership paperwork.
Discovery in California
Unbeknownst to investigators in Alabama at the time, Hargrove’s body had already been discovered.
On February 18, 1980, hikers found the body of a woman in a ravine off Highway 74 near Palm Desert, California. The victim was described as a white female with brown hair, but her identity remained unknown for more than 40 years.
In 2024, the Riverside County Regional Cold Case Homicide Team exhumed the remains for DNA testing. The genetic profile ultimately led investigators to Hargrove’s family, confirming her identity.
Investigation Ongoing
The Opelika Police Department has since turned over all case files to the Riverside County Regional Cold Case Homicide Team, which is now leading the active homicide investigation.
Authorities are asking anyone with information about the case or Hargrove’s disappearance to contact Supervising Investigator Billy Hester at (951) 955-0070 or email [email protected].
The case remains under investigation.
Related stories
CrimeOPD: Police investigating shooting in Opelika; road closed
Crime & SafetyUPDATE: Investigators release new details in search for missing Chambers County woman
Crime & SafetyMISSING PERSON: Chambers County Sheriff’s Office searching for 35-year-old woman
Crime & SafetyBREAKING: Missing Chambers County woman found dead after weeklong search
Crime & SafetyBREAKING: 16-year-old identified as victim in fatal Troup County shooting; suspect arrested