Body found in Bonny Doon last month identified as 73-year-old woman reported missing in November

BONNY DOON — The Santa Cruz County Sheriff Coroner’s Office identified the body recovered on Jan. 18 in the area of Smith Grade and Moore Ranch Road as 73-year-old Jeanne Burke, who was reported missing in November.

In a social media post Saturday, the Sheriff’s Office said it extends its deepest condolences to Burke’s family and friends.

“We are grateful to the many agencies that assisted in the search efforts, as well as to the Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team for their persistence and dedication in locating Ms. Burke despite the challenges they faced,” the Sheriff’s Office wrote.

Search and rescue teams discovered the body in Bonny Doon while searching for Burke, at-risk elderly woman.

Burke went missing Nov. 18, 2025, which prompted local and state authorities to mobilize a sweeping search effort that canvassed the Santa Cruz Mountains and San Lorenzo Valley region for weeks. That search, which previously included as many as 80-100 emergency officials and volunteers, continued through last month when the discovery was made, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Multiple agencies from across the state stepped in to assist in the search effort, including officials from Fresno, Yolo, San Mateo, Contra Costa, Placer, Marin, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Merced, Santa Clara and Santa Barbara counties. The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services stepped in to coordinate mutual aid, search and rescue groups, the California National Guard, Bay Area Mountain Rescue Unit, American Red Cross as well as telecommunication companies Verizon and Starlink.