Public Safety
DNA identifies Ojai remains as Patricia Fielding after 36 years
Ventura County investigators have identified partial human remains found near Ojai in 1990 as Patricia Diana Hunt Fielding, a 57-year-old mother of four from Taft.
Fire crews responding to a vehicle crash on July 23, 1990, discovered the remains down an embankment near Highway 33 and Creek Road in an unincorporated area of Ojai. The county Medical Examiner’s Office could not determine the cause of death.
Investigators developed a DNA profile and entered the case into national databases, but Fielding’s identity remained unknown for decades.
Identified: Patricia Diana Hunt Fielding
Age: 57
From: Taft, Kern County
Remains found: July 23, 1990, near Highway 33 and Creek Road
Forensic genealogy produces a match
In February 2025, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit and Medical Examiner’s Office began working with forensic DNA company Othram. Advanced testing and genetic genealogy generated new leads, and detectives located a family that had not heard from a relative in decades.
A reference DNA sample from the family produced a positive identification. Authorities said little is known about Fielding’s life before her remains were found or about the circumstances of her death.
The Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information about Fielding or her whereabouts before July 23, 1990, to contact its Cold Case Unit at 805-383-8739 or coldcase@venturacounty.gov.
Original reporting: KCLU — October 14, 2026 →
Additional reporting: NBC Los Angeles — October 14, 2026 →
Official statement: Ventura County Sheriff’s Office — October 14, 2026 →