How Did Marina Ramos End Up in the Arizona Desert?

Crime Junkie

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Video Summary

In December 1989, four friends stumbled upon a gruesome scene in the remote Arizona desert: the body of a young, unidentified woman. For over 30 years, the case remained a cold, nameless mystery until a dedicated cold case investigator used modern DNA technology to identify the victim as Marina Ramos, a young mother who had vanished from Bakersfield, California. The discovery revealed a harrowing secondary tragedy: Marina’s two youngest daughters had been abandoned in an Oxnard, California, park just days after her murder, eventually being adopted without ever knowing their true identity or their mother's fate.

Today, the investigation has shifted toward finding the elusive figures who were last seen with Marina and her children. Despite significant breakthroughs—including locating the surviving daughters and identifying a mysterious man known as 'Fernando David'—the identity of Marina's killer remains unknown. Investigators are now calling on the public to help track down key persons of interest, including a woman who blocked genealogical inquiries, to finally secure justice for a family torn apart by a decades-old act of violence.

Short Highlights

The victim, identified as Marina Ramos, was murdered in December 1989 in the Arizona desert.
Her two youngest daughters, Jasmine and Elizabeth, were found abandoned in an Oxnard, California, park two days after their mother's body was discovered.
The girls were adopted and grew up without knowledge of their biological family until DNA testing linked them to their mother's cold case in 2025.
Investigators are currently searching for three key subjects:
- 'Fernando David' (a.k.a. Fernando Coronel), who was seen with Marina and her children in 1989.
- An unidentified woman using the name 'Victoria Garcia' on Ancestry who blocked contact from the victim's family.
- The man and woman seen by a witness abandoning the children at Colonia Park in December 1989.

Key Details

The Discovery [0:01:25]

Four friends from Ohio searching for a ghost town in the Arizona desert discovered a woman's body near a yucca tree.
The woman was found naked, having been murdered 6 to 24 hours prior to discovery.
There is something about being with your friends away from home base and routine. It can make even the most mundane things seem to have this, like, spark of adventure.

Crime Scene Evidence [0:03:52]

Investigators found tire marks, drag marks, and two distinct sets of shoe prints, including a size 10.5 Nike and a size 7.
The victim died of blood loss from blunt force trauma and a slashed throat.
The one that you're looking at, they determined says Nike. That one is a size 10 and a half.

Initial Investigation [0:07:35]

Autopsy results showed no drugs or alcohol, but indicated the victim had recently given birth.
No missing persons reports matched the victim, and initial database searches yielded no results.
What she has is milk in her ducts, meaning that she must have given birth somewhat recently.

The Joseph Michael Nisenson Lead [0:10:25]

The FBI investigated a potential connection to Joseph Michael Nisenson, a convicted murderer with ties to Mojave County.
Nisenson’s fingerprints and those of his associate, Henry Staub, did not match evidence from the scene.
He is still sitting in a California prison for those two other murders and more that they have since connected him to.

Cold Case Reopening [0:12:00]

In 2019, the Mojave County Sheriff’s Office assigned investigators Lori Miller and her partner to review 395 cold cases.
By 2021, the team entered the victim's fingerprints into modern databases, leading to the identification of Maria Ortiz, later confirmed as Marina Ramos.
Once her victim has been entered, then she starts going through the physical evidence and calling crime labs to see what she could send.

Identifying the Victim [0:13:20]

A cousin, Esther, confirmed that Marina Ramos went by the name Maria and had gone missing in August 1989.
Marina was estranged from her family, who mistakenly believed she had started a new life.
But in the next breath, Esther says, but I do have a cousin who went MIA in 1989. Her name was Marina Ramos.

The Fernando Connection [0:16:00]

Cousin Esther described a man named Fernando who drove a black SUV and always wore a suit, even in extreme heat.
An artist's rendering of this man was created based on her description.
He always wore a suit. Always. Like even if it was 108 degrees outside, this dude is in a suit.

The Phoenix Tip [0:19:40]

A tipster in Phoenix claimed a man named Fernando Coronel killed Marina and left her daughters in an L.A. park.
Investigators believe 'Fernando Coronel' is a fake name and are searching for a man known as 'Fernando David.'
The anonymous tipster says that a man named Fernando Coronel killed Marina and that her daughters were taken to L.A. and left in a park.

The 'Fernando Dad' Account [0:20:30]

The biological father of one of the daughters claimed Marina left with two men in a red car after a hurricane in Puerto Rico.
His DNA did not match the crime scene evidence.
He says that two men in a red car came to pick them up, and then he just never sees them again.

Discovery of the Daughters [0:23:45]

DNA testing in 2025 led to a match with a woman named Tina Mangum, who was one of the missing daughters.
Tina and her sister Melissa were found in a park restroom in Oxnard, California, in December 1989.
Tina says she has to pull over her car. She's, like, driving. And she's just, like, in such shock.

The Park Witness [0:24:45]

A neighbor, Mary Lou, witnessed a Latin man and woman abandoning the children at the park in December 1989.
The woman was wearing a red skirt and white boots.
Mary Lou reports that just 15 minutes before the kids were found, she saw this small black pickup with two men and a woman inside.

The Ancestry Mystery [0:27:30]

A DNA match for Melissa on Ancestry led to a woman using the name 'Victoria Garcia,' who blocked all communication.
Investigators suspect this person may be using a false identity to hide information.
Not only does Victoria Garcia not respond, she blocks Lori. So, Melissa also tries messaging this woman on Ancestry.

Current Investigative Priorities [0:29:00]

Lori Miller is actively seeking information on 'Fernando David,' the woman using the name 'Victoria Garcia,' and the couple seen at Colonia Park.
The investigation continues using genetic genealogy and new forensic testing.
She is still trying to identify the man and woman seen in Colonia Park in Oxnard, California, the ones who left Marina's daughters there in December 1989.

Conclusion and Legacy [0:30:15]

Family members visited Marina’s gravesite in 2025, replacing her 'Jane Doe' marker with her name.
The search for the perpetrators remains ongoing.
For three decades, her grave marker just read, Jane Doe. Might have stayed that way forever.