Dogged detective close to victim's identity

MAMMOTH LAKES, Calif. — At first, all Sgt. Paul Dostie had were handfuls of bones — fragile, gnawed-on human bones.

There was very little he could tell from the animal-ravaged remains found in a shallow grave in the Inyo National Forest in May 2003. Dostie only knew the victim was a petite woman who wasn't dressed for the rugged Sierra Nevada, judging by her lacy blouse and flimsy jacket.

It appeared to be the third murder this ski resort town had seen in a quarter-century. But bones don't talk, and the 20-year police veteran realized that cracking this case would take more than old-fashioned detective work.

Over the next 3 1/2 years, Dostie combed the Internet for scientists who helped him extract information from the remains. Won over by Dostie's dedication and aw-shucks good nature, they contributed their expertise, often for free.

From the reports that trickled in, Dostie slowly compiled details of the victim's life story: where she was from, what she ate as a child, what she looked like, where she spent her last few months — everything but her name.

The search consumed him. He scoured scientific papers and attended conferences of forensic experts in search of new technologies.

"I probably know more about her and how she lived and died than anyone else out there," he said.

Dostie now believes he's weeks away from confirming the victim's identity. Only then will he be able to start the investigation he's waited years to pursue: the search for her killer.

It began with a hiker walking his dog in the national forest. Something in the bushes grabbed the dog's interest. It was a human skull.

Police searched for other remains, but found nothing until few days later, when a hunch led a sheriff's deputy up a nearby hill.

There, beneath the pines, Dostie was introduced to the victim who would define his career. Her cheap watch was still ticking, though it had spent the winter under snow.

The case got off to a good start: An employee of the Mammoth Lakes Visitor Center soon came forward, saying she remembered a small woman who'd come in the previous fall. She had prominent cheekbones and straight black hair flowing past her shoulders.