LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — The Bullhead City Police Department has identified a homicide victim whose remains were discovered in 1989 after nearly four decades through advanced DNA genealogy testing.
The unidentified young woman known for decades as “Castleberry Kate” has been positively identified as Sonya Alice Langan.
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On May 15, 1989, a construction crew discovered skeletal remains buried in a vacant lot on Castleberry Lane in Bullhead City. Investigators believed the victim was a female between 17 and 19 years old. Evidence indicated she had been deceased for approximately two to ten years prior to the discovery.
A bullet recovered from her skull confirmed the case as a homicide. Despite extensive investigative efforts over the years, the victim remained unidentified and the case went unsolved.
DNA genealogy breakthrough
In 2024, the Bullhead City Police Department was approached by the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit regarding the possibility of federal grant funding for forensic genealogy testing in the case.
The grant was approved, allowing evidence from the case to be submitted to the DNA Doe Project. Investigative genetic genealogists were able to develop a 99% match identifying the victim as Sonya Langan in late 2025.
Bullhead City detectives conducted follow-up investigations and contacted surviving relatives. Detectives learned that Sonya had never been formally reported missing to law enforcement.
According to family members, Sonya was approximately 17-18 years old when she left home around 1982. Detectives also learned that strained family relationships and extended periods without contact among relatives were not uncommon, leading family members to believe she had voluntarily left due to unhappiness at home.
Confirmation and investigation
Family members fully cooperated with investigators and provided DNA samples to assist in confirming Sonya’s identity. In May 2026, Sonya Langan was positively identified as the victim in this cold case homicide investigation.
Family members said Sonya dropped out of Kingman High School as a freshman in 1979, before the family moved to Bullhead City. Family members recalled they lived near River Glen Drive in Bullhead City and Sonya worked at Burger King before she left home.
The homicide case remains open and under investigation. Detectives are asking anyone who knew Sonya Langan or may have information related to her disappearance or death to contact the Bullhead City Police Department at (928) 763-9200 and ask to speak with detectives.
The Bullhead City Police Department extended its gratitude to the DNA Doe Project, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, SIU Investigator Lori Miller with the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, and Anthropologist Dr. Bruce Anderson with the Pima County Medical Examiner’s Office for their assistance in identifying Sonya and advancing the investigation.
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