Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On December 14, 1999, the commercial fishing vessel Silver Spray was at the entrance to Humboldt Bay when it was struck by a large wave that ripped the vessel’s pilot house from the boat. The vessel’s captain and two crew members were thrown into the water and later recovered. The fourth crew member, 37-year-old Jonathan Raxa, was lost and could not be located.

Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office investigators located Raxa’s son and obtained a family DNA sample. The sample was submitted to the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).

In March 2026, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to Centerville Beach regarding a report of a possible human bone that had been located in the area. Deputies recovered the bone, which was identified as a human sacrum. The bone was turned over to the Humboldt County Coroner’s Office, which submitted it to the California Department of Justice for DNA analysis.

DNA was obtained from the bone and entered into CODIS. The Humboldt County Coroner’s Office was subsequently notified that the DNA profile from the bone matched the family DNA associated with Jonathan Raxa.

Raxa’s family was contacted and notified of the identification. This case highlights the importance of collecting and preserving DNA samples from family members of missing persons. These samples can provide critical investigative leads and assist law enforcement in identifying missing persons and resolving cases, even decades after a person’s disappearance.

Anyone with information related to a missing person case is encouraged to contact Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Mike Fridley at (707) 441-3024.