Bone found on Centerville Beach solves 1999 fishing tragedy

A nearly 27-year-old mystery of a Humboldt County fisherman who was lost at sea has been solved. On Sept. 16, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that DNA analysis of a human bone found at Centerville Beach was successfully matched to Jonathan Raxa, a man who went missing in 1999 on a commercial fishing vessel.

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“This case highlights the importance of collecting and preserving DNA samples from family members of missing persons,” the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Raxa was one of four fishers on board the Silver Spray on Dec. 14, 1999, when an 18-foot wave tore the pilothouse off the vessel, the LA Times reported in 2000. The other three people on board made it safely onto a rescue raft, but Raxa remained missing — until now.

In March, the bone washed up on Centerville Beach. Deputies retrieved the bone, and the Humboldt County Coroner’s Office sent it to the California Department of Justice, according to the news release. The bone was identified as a human sacrum and was traced back to Raxa thanks to a DNA sample from Raxa’s son.

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“California Department of Justice (DOJ) criminalists play an important role in solving missing persons cases by examining DNA evidence, developing DNA profiles, and comparing those profiles with reference samples provided by family members,” Alan Barcelona, president of the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association, said in a news release. “Through this forensic work, criminalists can help provide answers to families and assist in resolving long-term missing person cases.”

The sheriff’s office has notified Raxa’s family members about the discovery.