Cold Case ID Made In RivCo. Now, Who Killed Jackie Ebel?

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — For more than 30 years, Jacqueline Danette Ebel's whereabouts were unknown. The mystery was recently solved thanks to updated technology, and now investigators want to know who killed her.

Her story dates back to December 26, 1988, when Perris law enforcement discovered the body of a woman in their city, near 330 E. 4th Street. It was an era long before forensic DNA testing was available, so authorities were unable to identify the victim.

She was described as Caucasian, weighing between 120 and 140 pounds, standing about 5 feet, 5 inches to 5 feet, 6 inches tall, with reddish-brown or auburn hair and blue eyes. She had several tattoos: a horse and flower on her right shoulder blade, "John" and a Harley-Davidson eagle on her left shoulder blade, and a rose and "Stoney" on her lower abdomen.

Even with the description, the case went cold.

Finally, in 2022, the Riverside County Regional Cold Case Team, which is supervised by the District Attorney's Bureau of Investigation, exhumed the victim’s body and conducted forensic genetic genealogy.

The police work eventually gave the victim a name: Jacqueline Danette Ebel, known as "Jackie" by family and friends. She was reported missing from the Long Beach area around December 23, 1988, just days before her body was found in Perris.

Ebel lived in the Long Beach and Bellflower areas, and also went by the last names "Yonkers" and "Palmer."

Authorities have long believed her death was a homicide. Now that they know her identity, investigators hope that someone might have information that can lead to whoever ended Ebel's life.

"It is our greatest desire to grant dignity and justice to this victim and her family," said Senior DA Investigator Ebony Caviness with the Riverside County Regional Cold Case Homicide Team.

The team is asking the community to contact investigators with any information about the homicide or the victim that could assist them in the case. Any leads, no matter how insignificant they may seem, can be reported to the Cold Case Hotline at 951-955-5567, or by emailing coldcaseunit@rivcoda.org.