Sara Kay Keesling

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Riverside Regional Cold Case Homicide Team (CA)

Offense Location:

Riverside, California

Summary:

Sara Kay Keesling was a 12-year-old girl found dead on October 13, 1988 at an illegal dump site in Riverside County, California, after being reported missing by her mother two weeks earlier. Although her remains were partially buried under trash in a remote location showing an obvious attempt to conceal them, her manner and cause of death were ruled undetermined and her case was not investigated as a homicide. In 2023, the Riverside Regional Cold Case Homicide Team reexamined her case and now consider her death a homicide, having ruled out all but one person, though the District Attorney declined to file charges due to insufficient evidence.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

Sara had run away to a nearby friend's house to seek refuge from the father she was scheduled to spend the weekend with. On October 13, 1988, her body was discovered at a known illegal dump site, partially buried under a pile of trash on a hillside in Riverside County, approximately two weeks after she was reported missing by her mother.

Additional Details:

Despite the remote location and obvious attempt to conceal her remains, her manner and cause of death were initially ruled undetermined and her case was not investigated as a homicide. For over 30 years, Sara's case remained cold. Very little attention was given to Sara's death in 1988, and her death was never listed as an unsolved cold case on the Riverside Sheriff's Office website. In 2023, after new information came to light, the Riverside Regional Cold Case Homicide Team reexamined Sara's case. They now consider her death a homicide and have ruled out all but one person, but the Riverside District Attorney's office has declined to file charges at this time due to insufficient evidence.

Case Last Updated:

Sep 02, 2026