DNA Leads To ID, Now Investigators Want To Know How Bay Area Man Died

SANTA ROSA, CA — The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office is seeking public assistance to help detectives figure out what happened to a man whose skull was found in Monte Rio in 2001.

Investigators opened the case 23 years ago after a community member brought in a human skull they found on "Motorcycle Mountain," off Duncan Road. The sheriff's office was unable to locate more remains at the site.

According to the sheriff's office, detectives submitted DNA to the DNA Doe Project for genealogy testing, which helped them identify the man's brother last year. Using the brother's DNA, a state lab confirmed the skull belonged to Jeffrey Thomas Rupen.

According to the sheriff's office, Rupen was born in North Carolina in 1958 and studied political science at Columbia University in New York. Detectives said he became estranged from his family sometime in the early 1980s and traveled to California, where Rupen was rumored to have worked as a house painter.

Detectives hope someone who remembers Rupen will contact them with information that could help investigators develop a better picture of what led to his death. Tips can be sent to the Cold Case Unit by e-mail, or by calling 707-565-2727.