TWIN FALLS, Idaho — A woman found floating under the Perrine Bridge in Twin Falls back in September of 2014 has remained unidentified -- until now.
On Sept. 9, 2014, a kayaker found the body of a woman floating in the water below the bridge and Twin Falls County deputies issued a recovery. There was no identification on her body, according to a Twin Falls County Sheriff (TFCS) news release. The coroner listed her cause of death as suicide, the news release said.
According to the news release, law enforcement combed the area and canvassed surrounding businesses while the former Jane Doe's images and fingerprints were entered into national databases with zero results.
"Fourteen states reached out with missing person cases that matched some of the woman's description, but no matches were made. The case was actively investigated until February of 2016, and then worked sporadically until August of 2020 when it was deemed "inactive," with no new leads," the release said.
On Sept. 22, 2022, fingerprint and DNA results from the Idaho State Police Forensics Lab and the Idaho Cold Case Advanced DNA Methods Working Group (ICCADM) confirmed the unknown woman's identity has Cynthia Gunnerson, or Sasha Ergateage from San Diego, California, the release said.
"I'm thankful for the hard work and diligence of our investigative team throughout this time, and for the assistance and collaboration of the ICCADM in solving this case, and being able to help bring closure to her family," Twin Falls Sheriff Tom Carter said.
"ISPFS is pleased that Idaho cold cases are being solved through collaborative efforts to bring closure to Idaho families and those throughout the country," said Matthew Gamette, Laboratory System Director of Idaho State Police Forensic Services. "The relationship between ISPFS, ISP, ICCADM, and local law enforcement demonstrates a tireless and unending commitment to solving cold cases. Our team looks forward to working with agencies and announcing more case resolutions," Gamette said.
This is the second case solved by the ICCADM. The group contacted Twin Falls and asked to be of assistance in this case. From there, they submutted a sample from Gunnerson to a lab in Texas, which generated a lead through genealogy testing. The parents of Gunnerson then submitted their DNA for further testing, and her identity was then confirmed.
"Cynthia Gunnerson's parents are grateful to have answers about their daughter, and ask for privacy as they grieve her loss. We express our deepest sympathy and condolences to them at this time," the TFCS release said.
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